From Jennifer to Filippo. Young tennis players grow up

The growth path of the young tennis players from Marche on international fields. From Croatia to Tunisia, passing through Brazil and Türkiye, our standard-bearers, both in the men's and women's sectors, continue to accumulate precious experience, fundamental for their competitive development.

The 21-year-old Jennifer Ruggeri, who grew up competitively in Porto Potenza Picena but then moved to the MTA tennis club in Jesi, already a participant in the Internazionali d'Italia in Rome, currently number 657 WTA with a recent leap forward of two positions, faced the Vacaria tournament reaching the last qualifying round. On the Brazilian red, the Jesi player showed good qualities before stopping against the Mexican Natalia Sousa Salazar. An experience that was nevertheless useful in a $40.000 tournament that will allow her to grow further.

Philip Mazzola, 19 years old from Macerata and ranked 1557 ATP, has participated in two consecutive tournaments on the Turkish courts of Antalya in Turkey. In the first event, after passing the qualifications, he met the German Oscar Moraing in the main draw. In the second tournament, again in the same location, he faced the Slovakian Radovan Michalik in the qualifications. Two events that represent important pieces in his path of international growth.

Andrea Meduri, a twenty-year-old from San Giorgio (ATP 2105 up one position compared to the previous week), played two tournaments on Croatian soil in Rovinj and Porec. On both occasions, the player from the Marche region had the opportunity to compete with good-level opponents such as the Austrians Peter Goldsteiner and Sandro Kopp. Experiences that are useful for refining one's game and understanding the aspects to work on.

Lorenzo Sciahbasi, 19 years old from Grottammare and number 1312 ATP, instead came within a whisker of the main draw in the tournament in Monastir in Tunisia. The young player from the Marche stopped in the last round of qualifications against his compatriot Pietro Marino, currently in good form with 10 victories in the last 12 matches. A result that confirms the potential of the boy from the Marche, still very young and with little experience in the international professional circuit.

The Marche tennis youth sector continues to take concrete steps in the international panorama and does so with young athletes, despite the difficult moment of its best element, Nardi from Pesaro. These tournaments represent important opportunities to test their skills against opponents of different nationalities and styles of play. With patience and perseverance, our young people will be able to reap the fruits of their daily work.

Andrea Pongetti