Federico Cinà beats Comesana on debut: first career success in the Masters 1000 and major circuit and also the first 2007 to win a match at a level of this magnitude
Federico Cinà wrote the first important page of his young career today, conquering his first victory on the major ATP circuit. The 17-year-old from Palermo beat the Argentine Francisco Comesana with the score of 7-6(4) 7-6(2) in the first round of the Miami Masters 1000, demonstrating the character and technical qualities of a true champion.
“LIKE IN A DREAM!” could be the perfect summary of the historic day experienced by the young Sicilian talent. Cinà faced the match with the determination and maturity of a veteran, despite the understandable emotion of his debut on such a prestigious stage.
Federico also becomes the first tennis player born in 2007 to win a match in a Masters 1000.
In the first set, the Italian tennis player immediately showed his qualities, obtaining a break at the beginning and going up 2-0. Despite the counterbreak suffered at 3-3, Cinà kept calm in the decisive moments, also canceling a set point when he was serving at 5-6. At 6-6, the tiebreak was reached, where the Italian made the difference thanks to an ace and an excellent backhand down the line winner, closing 7-4 with a first serve winner.
The second set followed a similar script, with alternating phases. The turning point came at 2-1 for Cinà, when the Sicilian placed a break showing extraordinary defense, recovering two smashes from his opponent before closing with a backhand passing shot in advance and then taking the lead to 4-1. At 5-2, the Sicilian also had a match point on the return, but Comesana managed to save himself.
The tension played a nasty trick on Cinà who, in the next game, lost his serve with a double fault while serving for the match. To further complicate matters, the 17-year-old began to suffer from cramps in his left leg, requiring a medical timeout at 6-5.
Despite the physical problem, the Palermo native found the energy to face the second tiebreak of the day. Here the Argentine dominated with an aggressive and precise game: a double fault by Comesana, followed by excellent forehand returns by the Italian, brought Cinà to 6-2. The final point was a masterpiece: a spectacular inside-in forehand winner that closed the match at 7-6(2).
In the second round, Federico Cinà will face a very high level challenge against the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, seeded number 9 of the tournament and currently number 15 in the world ranking. The 33-year-old Dimitrov, 191 cm tall, will represent a tough test to measure the level of the young Italian against a player with great experience on the circuit.
At just 17 years old, the Sicilian is confirming the great expectations placed on him, demonstrating that he possesses a complete and mature tennis. His strengths that emerged in this match were his effective service in crucial moments, with several aces to save him from complicated situations, and a backhand down the line that often put the Argentine in difficulty.
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