Atkinson Monza Open, the final for the crown: Vitality Sachko challenges Raphael Collignon

Monza – A strange one fate seems to bind Vitaliy Sachko at the Atkinsons Monza Open 25 which today awards the singles title on the central court of the Villa Reale Tennis in via Boccaccio. The 27-year-old Ukrainian from Kremenchuk World number 300 has qualified for the second consecutive challenger final (last week in Barletta he was defeated in the final act by Dalibor Svrcina) beating the Frenchman Luca Van Assche 6/3, 2/6, 6/4.

Curiously, in the four matches played during the Brianza tournament, Sachko has always concluded the first set in the ninth game, with the only difference that in the previous rounds against Nishesh Basavareddy, Matteo Gigante and Jacopo Vasamì he had given up the partial, while this time he brought it home. And it was a good thing, because the French opponent of the Bergamo mother, who entered the field as the favourite, seemed to have shifted into high gear in the second set, won quite easily. In the third, Sachko returned to show the depth of his shots and the power of his backhand that brought him to the attention of the experts, in a crazy partial that recorded seven breaks in ten games. The last, decisive one, came at the third attempt, after the Ukrainian came back from a disadvantage of 2/4.

Allow lthe icing on the cake and win the first challenger title of his career that could bring him closer toThe best ranking achieved in 2023 at number 156 ATP, Sachko will have to use all his desire to win against Raphael Collignon.

Raphael Collignon

The Belgian, number 1 seed in the draw and number 91 in the world, he entered the court focused and aware that he should not give any chances to Dalibor Svrcina, fresh from the triumph in Barletta and on a positive streak of eight matches. And so he did, dominating the opening set 6/1 and controlling the timid attempt of reaction of the Czech also in the second part of the match, concluded with an equally eloquent score of 6/1 in a full hour of play. Now he will have the chance to add the second title of the year to the one achieved on the hard court of Pau in February, which will act as a counterpoint to the final lost in Lugano in March.

There is a recent precedent between the two finalists, which dates back to the first round of the Lugano challenger: on that occasion Collignon won 6/4, 7/5. Today at 11 the final challenge. The Villa Reale Tennis ticket office will not open: all tickets have already been sold on the eve of the Challenger week, confirming the desire of fans to experience tennis that counts in Monza again, after 13 years of absence from the international circuit. Those who want to watch the match will be able to do so via live streaming from the Challenger TV platform, free on the Atptour.com website.