São Paulo (SP) – São Paulo native Pedro Sakamoto extended his winning streak, moving closer to qualifying for the semifinals of the Procopio Cup, a tournament that offers qualification for the Rio Open. He beat another player who had triumphed in the preliminary round, João Lucas Reis from Pernambuco, with a score of 7/6 (9-7) and 6/2, taking the lead in the Fuad Mattar Group.
“It is always important to accumulate victories, the tournament is very competitive and everyone plays well. I know João well; I was aware that it would be a difficult match. I managed to stay focused throughout the match, to keep calm and trust the game plan I had established before. This gave me composure in crucial moments,” commented Sakamoto. “With a set lead, I was able to dominate the rallies more and secure the victory. It’s the end of the season, but we still have that extra energy to stay focused and perform well,” concluded the athlete from São Paulo.
In another match of the group, Pedro Boscardin of Santa Catarina triumphed over José Pereira of Alagoas with scores of 6/3 and 7/6 (7-5), marking his first victory in the Procopio Cup, putting him back in race for qualification. “I knew today’s match would be difficult, but I was playing a good level of tennis, making few mistakes. I maintained a strong mindset at the end, I stayed focused during the tiebreak and I managed to get the victory Our group is very balanced, all the players have a similar level,” said Boscardin.
On Thursday, the athletes of the Fuad Mattar Group will rest, while the players of the Fernando Gentil Group will enter the court. At 6 p.m., João Bonini will face Luis ‘Guto’ Miguel, each looking for their first victory in the Procopio Cup. Next, Daniel Dutra Silva and João Schiessl will face off in a battle to take the lead of the group.
The top two players from each group will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners advancing to the final. The matches take place at the Sociedade Harmonia de Tênis. The group stage matches will continue until Friday, starting at 6 p.m. The semi-finals will take place on Saturday and the final on Sunday from 12 p.m. All matches will be broadcast live on www.rioopen.com, and Sunday’s final will also be broadcast on SporTV.
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