Victor Ionescu and his rivals competed on Tennis Clash
Victor Ionescu is the Tennis Clash eSports champion! On Wednesday evening, in front of a lively crowd inside the Inalpi Arena, Ionescu overcame Matteo Dal Forno to win the Tennis Clash eSports title and a €6,000 prize.
The “Road To Turin” started earlier this year, with 748,000 participants. After three qualifying tournaments and five in-game tournaments, eight players qualified for the final day in Turin.
The group stage and semi-finals took place at the FITP eSports corner inside the Nitto ATP Finals Fan Village, with Ionescu and Dal Forno reaching the final.
Under pressure, Ionescu gave his all to win the title.
“When I saw my name on all the screens inside the stadium it was incredible,” Ionescu said after the victory. “I never would have imagined this five years ago when I started playing. To qualify, you have to win online and there was a lot of competition. There were a lot of good players. Now I found myself here with the best, and it’s been a long time since out of your mind.”
Giovanni Di Natale, head of Marketing and Digital Business of FITP (Italian Tennis and Padel Federation), is satisfied with the success of the Nitto ATP Finals eSeries.
“We believe the eSports movement aligns with our values, as well as supporting the practice and vision of our players,” Di Natale said. “Currently, the eSportsFITP platform has over one million members and we are committed to scaling up this initiative. While eSports is becoming a part of young people’s daily lives, not everyone has access to traditional tennis on the court. To address this situation, we are committed to establish a balanced approach that promotes both virtual and on-site experiences.”
“This initiative allows young eSports enthusiasts to participate in events where they can play Tennis Clash and, if they wish, try tennis on the court.”
All matches of the Nitto ATP Finals eSports series took place on a “virtual court” reproducing the Inalpi Arena, created specifically for the event by WildLife Studios, developer of the Tennis Clash game and FITP’s partner in the development of the project. The total prize pool was €10,000.
