Planes, trains, and cars are a weekly theme for ATP Challenger Tour gamers as they work onerous for factors, prize cash, and trophies. The journey schedule could be gruelling at instances, however the gamers keep decided as they persevere in direction of an identical purpose: turning into the subsequent skilled tennis star.
Finland’s Otto Virtanen just lately had an in depth journey that noticed him gather two Challenger titles and win 10 matches in 11 days (singles & doubles). After successful the Brest Challenger doubles title (w/ Viktor Durasovic) in October, the 21-year-old rapidly departed for the Bergamo Challenger, the place he superior by means of qualifying en path to accumulating his maiden Challenger singles crown.
“I flew after my doubles [in Brest] to Paris, from Paris to Milan, then Milan to Bergamo by automobile,” Virtanen mentioned. “I had a really late first match and I performed rather well. I simply went day-by-day and stored taking part in properly. Every day I stored gaining confidence and within the [Bergamo] last I simply tried to concentrate on what I used to be doing properly and tried to deal with it as a traditional match. It was my first last and I feel I dealt with it properly.”
Now at career-high No. 174 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Virtanen is amongst a robust checklist of champions in Bergamo together with the earlier three titlists: Holger Rune, Jannik Sinner, and Matteo Berrettini.
Otto Virtanen is topped champion in Bergamo, Italy. Credit: Antonio Milesi
Virtanen, who began the 12 months as No. 395, made his preliminary Challenger breakthrough this summer time as a semi-finalist on the Surbiton and Liberec Challengers. The Challenger 90 occasion in France was his first Challenger last and the Finn didn’t flinch. Virtanen didn’t drop a set all week en path to the title and maintained his excessive degree within the championship match towards former World No. 29 Jan-Lennard Struff.
“I didn’t change something [about my game plan], I simply performed stable, perhaps just a little safer,” Virtanen mentioned. “I used to be placing extra balls in and taking part in high-percentage tennis. Then when it was time, I performed extra aggressively. I discovered steadiness to my sport.”
The Hyvinkää native is simply the second participant from Finland to win a Challenger title up to now 10 years and the primary since Emil Ruusuvuori in 2019.
Ruusuvuori, 23, is a four-time Challenger titlist. At the 2019 Helsinki Challenger, Ruusuvuori was topped champion on dwelling soil and defeated Virtanen within the spherical of 16. This season, Ruusuvuori reached his first Tour-level last in Pune and climbed to a career-high 40. Ruusuvuori and Virtanen have fond recollections of rising up collectively and are actually carrying the torch for tennis of their dwelling nation because the highest-ranked Finns.
“I’ve recognized Emil since I used to be a child,” Virtanen mentioned. “We performed the identical tournaments. He’s two years older than me so we had been in several age teams however identical tournaments in Finland. We practised on the identical membership. We spend a while collectively off courtroom as properly however we each are busy travelling for tennis, so it’s robust to seek out the time once we are each in Helsinki. When we each are dwelling, we practise collectively. It’s good to catch up and see what he’s doing properly, take one thing from him.”
After a second-round exit at his dwelling Challenger this previous week in Helsinki, Virtanen closes his season with a 23-14 Challenger-match report. The #NextGenATP teenager has been constructing upon the teachings he’s discovered since graduating from the ITF Futures occasions and now shifts his consideration in direction of offseason coaching earlier than aiming for a fair stronger exhibiting in 2023.
“It was a rollercoaster [season],” Virtanen mentioned. “I’m proud of this 12 months, the place I began and what I’ve achieved. I’m fairly proud of the outcomes.
“It’s at all times a pleasure to be at dwelling. Last match of the 12 months, it’s good to complete right here [Helsinki] regardless that the outcomes this week weren’t that good. But I’m comfortable to complete the 12 months and now I can concentrate on subsequent season. I’m actually excited.”
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