Smiles at the start of the Davis Cup: Alejandro Tabilo returns to defeat the Peruvian number one

Chile begins its path with a victory to once again be among the top 16 teams in the Davis Cup. Alejandro Tabilo (54th ATP) scored a key series victory against Peru by beating the visitors’ number one, Juan Pablo Varillas (87th), 4-6, 6-2 and 6-1. It will now be the turn of Nicolas Jarry who will have the chance to virtually qualify for the final of the most important tournament in the country.

The first key to the series was Nicolás Massú’s big bet. The national captain risked leaving Christian Garin, the emblematic player of his ten years at the head of the Chilean team, out of the singles, to rely on the great moment of Tabilo, arriving in Santiago at 54 years old and brand new champion of the world. the ATP 250 in Auckland which was played on hard court.

These scrolls left the Toronto native as the heavy favorite in the preview. But facing him, there was no easy rival. In recent years, the Peruvian has positioned himself as one of the strongest players in South America. And although his favorite surface is clay, he has also made a good impression on hard courts.

That is why it is not surprising that at the beginning he seemed very comfortable on the new court of the National Stadium, certified by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as category 2 (medium-slow). A speed higher than that of Indian Wells, but lower than that of the US Open and the Australian Open.

The Peruvian, without showing spectacular tennis, was able to contain the Chilean, who found neither the rhythm nor the shots. In fact, that feeling took its toll in Game 6, as the first break of the partial has arrived . Minimal punishment but enough to define this first set. Varillas played with a favorable score and closed 6-4 in less than an hour of play.

It was a hard blow for the public, but not for Tabilo, who returned to the field changed. It was a complete turnaround in the game, both in terms of score and attitude. The 54th in the world takes a step forward and begins to deal the blows. More speed on serves and more winners quickly gave him the advantage. Varillas, for his part, began to see himself sunk by the overwhelming play of the Nacional, who obtained breaks in the second and eighth games. The last one, definitive. He achieved this after two unforced errors from the Peruvian, which was obviously complicated.

A 180 degree turn that put Chile fully in the match. The feelings were 100% positive. Player, captain and public did their job. Everyone knew how necessary it was to add the first point of the series, mainly due to the status of Varillas, who by scandal is the player with the most scrolls in Peru. Taking a point off number one could be vital.

And this pressure was felt by the visitor, who had a very bad time on his first serve in the third set. He had to save three break points to stay alive. Even though he maintained his serve, it was not difficult to see that everything was going in Jano’s favor.

This is why the punishment did not take long to arrive. Varillas tried to maintain his form in his second service game, but had no more luck. Break in favor of Tabilo, who celebrated in force. The 4,000 people present reproduced the celebrations. The feeling was already one of total trust. Chile was on track to score its first point of the series.

It was a dream scenario that Tabilo didn’t let go of. He continued to play his game and took advantage of his rival’s nervousness, which grew as the set progressed. The context was such that a new rupture occurred and the way was completely clear. He closed the set 6-1 to unleash madness on the center court of the National Stadium.