The TC Rungg team narrowly missed the Scudetto. © PLOPP

TC Rungg: The dream bursts in the deciding doubles

After a heroic fight that lasted almost exactly twelve hours, TC Rungg Südtirol Yogurteria’s dream of winning the first Italian championship title in the club’s history has been shattered.

09 December 2024

From: pm

The boys, led by Manuel and Valerio Gasbarri, had to bow to TC Crema in the deciding doubles with an overall score of 3:4 after a thrilling final at the Circolo Stampa Sporting facility in Turin and congratulate the Lombardi on their Scudetto.

The final in Piedmont started promisingly: Rungg's top performer Federico Gaio was able to improve in the singles in position 3 against Andrea Arnaboldi after losing the first round and took the match into the third set. When Gaio served for the match, Arnaboldi, who was visibly ailing, especially towards the end of the match, had to give up at 3:6, 6:3, 5:4, 15-00. He was suffering from muscular problems in his right lower leg. In the parallel match taking place at the same time, Maximilian Figl stormed to a 6:4, 4:1 lead against Leonardo Cattaneo, but was unable to bring the match to a close. The Crema player made up a double break deficit in the second round, secured the set 2:7 and did not give up in the deciding set either, when Figl took the lead 5:3. Thanks to five games in a row, Cattaneo actually manages to turn around the score to 1:4 with a 6:7, 5:6, 3:1.

When Alexander Weis lost in the singles at position 2 to Crema legionnaire Nicholas-David Ionel after a very hard-fought match in two close sets with 4:6, 4:6 and Rungg's Santiago Rodriguez Taverna was only given an outside chance in the duel with Samuel V. Ruggeri, the situation became tricky for the South Tyroleans for the first time. But the Argentinian equalized with a 6:4 score of 6:4, 2:2 with a brilliant performance and tactical finesse.

Decision will be made in doubles

This means that the two regular doubles matches come into focus: While Alexander Weis and Marco Bortolotti lost the first doubles match to the Ruggeri/Ionel duo 3:6, 6:7(5) despite leading twice by a break and having a set point in the second set, Federico Gaio and Maximilian Figl forced the deciding doubles match after an equally exciting encounter against Riccardo Bonadio/Lorenzo Bresciani with a 6:4, 7:6(8) and the defense of four set points in the second set. There, the Gasbarri brothers again sent the previously victorious duo into the race, who played a strong match against Ruggeri/Ionel, led for a long time, but ultimately had to admit defeat in the champions tiebreak by a very narrow margin of 7:5, 5:7, 7-10.

At the awards ceremony, Manuel Gasbarri commented on the final defeat as follows: "It was a very intense match day, a very intense championship overall. I think that we have honored this competition with this final. You all fought like lions, it was a wonderful experience. Of course it hurts a lot at this moment. But that's the sport, that's tennis."