The national tennis player returned against the Frenchman and Chile will once again have two players in the restricted group after 19 years. Jano will play his third final of the season and will go in search of the country’s number one.
After 47 years, Alejandro Tabilo became the first Chilean to compete in the semi-finals of an ATP on grass. And in Mallorca, against the Frenchman Gaël Monfils (40th), he wanted to continue to write history and continue to exceed his ceiling in the ranking.
He came into the tournament ranked 24th in the world and with his two wins he secured 22nd, his highest ranking. A victory against the Frenchman would not only put him in the top 20, but the country would again have two players in this restricted group after 19 years (Fernando González, 16th, and Nicolás Massú, 18th, on March 28, 2005). And after a remarkable comeback, they achieved it by winning 2-6, 6-2 and 7-6 (3).
From the first match, things seemed complicated for the Toronto native. The European, without much effort and with a lot of help from the left-hander, made a quick break which allowed him to take the advantage, which would then be accentuated by another consecutive break in the third game, after the national player. letting a ball pass after thinking it had lasted a long time.
With a very ascending set, the mission of Horacio Matta’s new student was to find the level of the previous rounds, to do damage once again with his shots and not to miss as much with his forehand. His experienced rival, meanwhile, remained faithful to his positions. Without despairing and doing what was necessary, he closed the first round with a as.
The start of the second chapter started off much better. From the start, Tabilo calmly won his serve and this gave him the opportunity to take the advantage for the first time. He adjusted his shots, improved his mobility and increased his second serve percentage from 29% to 70%.
In addition, he managed to put pressure on Monfils on the return and he felt it by committing a few double faults and unforced errors, which allowed the national number two to break for the first time in the sixth. game. Doubt seizes the Parisian and he fails to hold his serve in the next round and with a double fault he loses the set.
Noticeable return
Feelings strengthened, Jano entered to play the final set. His rival regained the concentration he had lost and the set was very tight. The Chilean also notably saved two break points in the fifth game, to reaffirm his convictions and approach the last part of the match with an extra boost of confidence.
Everything was defined in the decisive game, perhaps the case where the psychological factor weighs the most. A mini break in the third point after a long forehand from Monfils raised hopes, but a direct error on the same shot from the Chilean equalized everything again.
But this time, Tabilo was not going to let the old ghosts revive in that same situation and took the initiative, with deep and powerful shots, forcing the break once again. And not only that, he offered the best point of the match, with a spectacular backfoot volley to go up 5-3. Finally, the Frenchman failed with a double fault and the Chilean managed to raise his arms and enlarge his story.
For the title, he will face the winner of the match between the Austrian Sebastian Ofner (54th) and the British Paul Jubb (289th), who will then face each other.
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
