Juan Pablo Varillas will play his first final of the season after defeating British player Jay Clarke in the semifinals of the Como Challenger in Italy. With this victory, the Peruvian is getting closer to his return to the Top 200 of the ATP ranking.
Varillas won with a score of 6-7, 7-5, and 6-1 in a match that lasted three hours and three minutes. Despite losing the first set and being down 1-5 in the second, Varillas managed to recover by winning six consecutive games, closing that set 7-5 and turning the tide of the match. In the third set, he showcased his dominance from the start and finished with a decisive 6-1.
This result marks the 14th final of his career on the Challenger circuit, and next Sunday, September 6, Varillas will seek his eighth title in this category. The tennis player, ranked 234 in the ATP ranking before the tournament, has shown remarkable resilience, saving six match points throughout the week.
His opponent will be Matej Dodig, a Croatian who reached the final after defeating Swiss Johan Nikles. The match will be played on the clay courts of Como and will begin at 10:00 AM in Peru; in other regions, the times vary, being at 12:00 PM in Argentina and 5:00 PM in Italy.
Fans can follow the final on Challenger TV, the free platform from the ATP Challenger circuit. With his victory over Clarke, Varillas is virtually occupying the 195th position in the ATP ranking, with an increase of 39 places, although this projection will not be officially confirmed until after the US Open.
If Varillas becomes champion in Como, he will secure his return to the Top 200, a milestone that has not been achieved since August 1994, when three Peruvians were on that list. Currently, Ignacio Buse and Gonzalo Bueno hold the 33rd and 168th positions, respectively. Varillas has the opportunity to complete that trio with a victory.
Source: www.infobae.com
