Italians Lorenzo Sonego (left)and Andrea Vavassori (right) capture the Cagliari doubles title on Saturday.
First Italian team to win on home soil in 16 years
Lorenzo Sonego and Andrea Vavassori captured the Sardegna Open doubles title on Saturday after a 6-3, 6-4 victory over second seeds Simone Bolelli and Andres Molteni in 75 minutes.
They are the first Italians to win a tour-level doubles title on home soil since Daniele Bracciali and Giorgio Galimberti at Milan in February 2005 in Milan.
Sonego and Vavassori, who beat top seeds Marcelo Melo and Jean-Julien Rojer in the Cagliari first round this week, are now 8-6 as a team.
Sonego Fights Past Fritz, One Step Away From Cagliari Title
Sonego, who beat Taylor Fritz in the singles semi-finals earlier on Saturday, will now bid to become the first player to clinch the singles and doubles titles at same event since Feliciano Lopez at the 2019 cinch Championships in London. The last Italian to complete a title ‘double’ was Matteo Berrettini at the 2018 Swiss Open Gstaad.
Italian Bolelli and Argentine Molteni reached 2019 VTB Kremlin Cup final in their only other ATP Tour event as a team. Bolelli drops to 6-9 in team finals, while Molteni is now 6-5.
It was the first time at least three Italians had contested an ATP Tour doubles final since 1998 Casablanca (Gaudenzi/Nargiso d. Brandi/Messori).