Ancona, uphill road to conquer A2. Bad defeat in Lucca: now the return to hope

TC Ancona must accomplish a feat to gain promotion to Serie A2 . The 4-2 defeat suffered in Lucca in the first leg of the playoff final forces the Dorics to win the return match with the same score and then prevail in the decisive play-off double. The Tuscan trip reserved some bitter surprises for the Ancona team, which had closed the regular season undefeated. The last day had seen the Dorics overwhelm Galatina 5-1, gaining first place in the group and qualification for the final.

In the singles only Leonardo Primucci took home the point for Ancona. Maxence Nathan Bertimon lost to Mazzeschi 6-3 6-4, while Matteo Sabbatini was defeated by Donev Gabriel Todorov with the score of 6-4 3-6 6-0. Luca Pizzichini also had to surrender to Pierro 6-3 6-4. Michele Mecarelli was absent from the Tuscan trip, busy with the Wimbledon Junior Championships that will be held in London from 30 June to 13 July. The player from Ancona, born in 2007 and currently 60th in the ITF junior ranking, had signed one of the four decisive victories against Galatina with a convincing 6-2 6-3.

In the doubles the balance is tied: victory for the Bertimon-Sabbatini pair who beat Cerri-Fedeli 6-1 7-6(2), defeat instead for Primucci-Pizzichini against Mazzeschi-Donev for 6-1 6-2. To conquer the Serie A2, TC Ancona will have to win the home return match at least 4-2, thus equalizing the first leg scores. At that point the play-off doubles will be played which will assign the promotion. The Doric team, which in the regular season had shown impressive solidity especially in the singles, will have to find brilliance again.