Stefano Travaglia, Nerman Fatic and Borna Gojo are the first three players to reach the round of 16 at the Sparkasse Challenger Val Gardena Südtirol. Travaglia (ATP number 305) won a comeback match and defeated 19-year-old Francesco Maestrelli (ATP number 184) in the Italian duel 2:6, 6:3 and 6:4. Meastrelli immediately took a 4:0 lead, in the second set Travaglia entered the match better and managed to even the score after the break in the eighth game. In the final set another break in the ninth game was decisive. After almost two hours of play Travaglia ended the match with an ace.
This is the comment of the 30-year-old Italian at the end of the match: 'I knew it was a difficult match. Maestrelli plays well, he has achieved good results this year. Here in Ortisei the serve and the response count a lot, even if the surface is much slower than in other years. I didn't start at my best, I didn't like myself, but I changed gear and managed to bring home this important match." Travaglia comes from a year "a bit particular. I'm looking for good sensations. The match is different from training. I try to play on fast surfaces, I think I express my tennis better on fast surfaces. That's why I chose not to go to South America."
