Raphael Collignon triumphs at Atkinsons Monza Open 25: Sachko defeated in final

The first edition of the ends as expectedAtkinsons Monza Open 25 which ended on the fields of Royal Villa Tennis of Boccaccio Street. Raphael Collignon (pictured) had presented himself at the starting line as the main favourite for the title and in the end the 23-year-old Belgian born in the United States, number 91 in the world, achieved his goal by beating in the final act Vitaliy Sachko for 6/3, 7/5. The Ukrainian, a surprise (up to a certain point) of the Brianza tournament, wanted to improve on the final reached last week in Barletta when he was defeated by Dalibor Svrcina, but the fatigue of the last few days with twelve matches played in fifteen days made itself felt in his legs and head, exacerbated by a pain in his hip that progressively increased, so much so that at the end of the first set the intervention of the physiotherapist was required. Sachko tried to react, with a flash that allowed him to snatch the serve from Collignon for the first and only time in the tenth game of the second set, when the Belgian was serving for the title, but immediately afterwards he gave up his serve again, and with it the match, which updates the curriculum of the tennis player trained by the former pro Steve Darcis to four triumphs, after those of Luedenscheid and Lyon in 2024 and Pau last February. With the 100 points up for grabs reserved for the winner, Collignon will climb today to the best ranking of number 83 in the world and will deposit a check in the bank for over 20 thousand euros. A nice growth for a player who only a year ago was sailing around number 600.

"I started as the first seed - Collignon said - and everyone expected me to win. But it was a difficult week, against many excellent opponents. I managed to play my best tennis almost all the time, remaining very solid on a mental level. An aspect that made the difference. I am really happy for this success, which gives me the guarantee of entering the main draw at Roland Garros e Wimbledon. If I have the chance, I will gladly return to Monza: it is rare to find a tournament that has been so well-organized since the first edition". There was also great satisfaction among the ranks of the organizing committee, starting with the club's president, Cristiano Crippa: "For us, it was a triumphal ride. We must thank the sponsors, without whom all this would not have been possible, and the club's regulars, who responded in an incredible way. This is not a finish line, but the beginning of an extraordinary journey". 2026 is already around the corner, and no one wants to be caught unprepared: "The results of this first edition are far superior to any expectations - confirmed Giorgio Tarantola, tournament director -. The public was very numerous from day one, for a total of over 20 thousand spectators over the course of the week. We saw many high-level matches. We are already working on next year's edition, to make this tournament a regular stop on the ATP calendar".