Club Ancona, debut in B1: "The goal is the playoffs"

President Mazzarini, after four promotions in the last four years, what are your expectations for this new adventure in Serie B1?

"We are approaching this adventure as novices, but I believe that the team has the potential to have a good championship and the goal is the play-offs, not the play-outs. We have a group of important players. Primucci, who is our spearhead, has recently reached the 2.1 ranking. The minimum goal is the play-offs and then who knows, we'll see what happens".

Are you planning to strengthen the team with new additions to better face the championship or do you prefer to focus on the group that won this promotion?

"We have the two boys from the youth team, Michele Mecarelli and Matteo Sabatini, who have been training for a year at another school, to try to make an even bigger leap, as we wish them. However, they have remained tied to the colors of our club and therefore will give their all to make a good impression in this championship. We also have the addition of new boys, always from the youth team, like Edoardo Principi, an eighteen-year-old with a 2.4 ranking. We have strengthened the team with a foreigner, or rather with more than one foreigner, but only one can play at a time, they are boys that we will field in every match, with ATP rankings between 600 and 650 in the world. To complete the roster there is also Federico Mazzarini, he can be an excellent backup also for the doubles. Finally, we have included a very young player, Filippo Riccobelli".

What impact do you think this result had on the local tennis movement?

"There is great anticipation for this championship and we are also preparing the club so that we can host the home games in the best possible way. The calendar is demanding because the away games to face will be in Bolzano, Sassari, Galatina, in the province of Lecce, so very long. The club has changed a lot in recent years, thanks to numerous investments".

What is still missing?

"There's still a long way to go, some work that we're doing anyway. We have seven fields, and we expect them to be all covered next year."

Andrea Pongetti