In the middle of nowhere (Cordenons Challenger), a potential star emerges

Mate Valkusz lights up the Cordenons Challenger

By David Provan (@davieprovan on Twitter)

As I drive into Cordenons I’m immediately thinking, ‘does anyone live here?’ There are zero signs of life. Field upon field of growing crops as the blazing afternoon sun shines down on the arid landscape. Is there a tennis tournament here? I’m starting to think there might not be.

‘Wait, there’s an old guy on a tractor of some kind driving down the road. Is that former world No. 5 Tommy Robredo on his way to the courts?’ Nope. It’s not. Sorry, Tommy. Then, after a few minutes, some bland looking industrial estate appears with a sign declaring ‘EUROSPORTING.’ ‘Okay. Phew. It exists.”

I park the car and walk to front of Eurosporting Cordenons. Huge roll of brown sellotape holding two doors together with some sign on it in Italian. Okay. After a stroll around, finally I see a couple of people walking through a gap in a hedge. HURRAH!–the entrance. The sign on the door probably said, “use hedge entrance” in Italian. Woe is me for only speaking Spanish and English.

This truly is Challenger land tennis, but I still love it. It’s often a leap into the unknown, but there’s always the hope of unveiling a hidden gem.

Inside the venue, the outside courts come into view along a tree-laden path. There are a few sponsor vehicles around and even some kind of old bus for some unknown reason. Acqua Dolomia, the main sponsor of the event, has a car with a giant water bottle on top. Was all the effort to get that giant bottle on top of a car worth it? Anyway, I’m getting sidetracked. Small gatherings of people look around the courts in typical Italian fashion. Old guys in their 50s and 60s sporting ponytails, white pantalooned individuals in decking shoes; classic Italian stereotypes. The familiar crisp sound of tennis balls being struck echoes around the park as I check on my phone who’s currently on court.

Centre Court, formed by two banks of concrete rows on opposite sides, is decent with a large capacity. Over the back of it there is a large pool and sun loungers with hosts of people walking about in their swimming gear and bikinis. Is this a mirage? Nope it’s not. It’s actually within a stone’s throw of the main court. Occasionally bathers stroll into the tennis for a look.

What amazes me is the consistent ability by all Italians to be utterly oblivious to their own volume. “30-0.” Phone rings loudly. ‘For the love of god put your phone away.’ He’s getting it out his pocket to turn it onto silent surely. Nope. He’s answering it. He’s talking loudly. All while Facundo Bagnis tries to win a point. This occurred a good 20 plus times … in the final alone.

The early-round matches aren’t hugely appealing and the effects of the vast majority of the tour being stateside are clear. Cordenons’ tournament director has probably begged Paolo Lorenzi to rock up here and forego an early flight to the USA to prepare for his hard-court run in Winston-Salem and at the U.S. Open. Robredo is here and you start to wonder how much Tommy must love this game that he made the trip to this remote outpost.

Early viewing is not good. The standard is low; very low. And I’ve just been to Portoroz, which was an event of the same status. Frenchman Enzo Couacaud and Italian Andrea Basso serve up a shambles of a match on Centre. You’re willing on Basso to take one of the three set points for a straight-set victory. It never comes. The sun is pounding down in an arena where you simply can’t hide from the heat. It goes to three. Silence. Barely a clap is heard as Couacaud takes the second. Even he looks embarrassed by the dire stuff being offered; shaking his head vigorously after most points. But Basso is melting in the afternoon sun and giving up the ghost. This was a familiar theme (Italian cohort Lorenzi notwithstanding): give up when you’re losing. Throw a hissy fit. The effects of Fabio Fognini on this generation may be evident. They’re even mocking his trademark strut. Basso was far from the only one, though.

I’m now praying for a half-decent match. Give me something, please. Robredo gets wheeled out (not literally). It’s very average as he beats Lorenzo Giustino. Andrej Martin and Aldin Setkic produce error-strewn, bottle-jobbing vintagery.

I scour the draw. Bagnis…. Guilherme Clezer…. Routine stuff….

Then, it happens. The moment you go to these kind of events for.

There’s been a disturbance in the farce.      

Mate Valkusz.

Who is this kid giving Markus Eriksson an absolute beatdown? How have I not heard of this guy before? Okay, it’s Markus Eriksson–a guy who most aspiring players could probably get to the level of with the right amount of dedication and hard work. But this man-child is blowing him off the court with an array of shots, style, and panache.

Next match it’s Zdenek Kolar in the kid’s path. 6-0 6-0. No nerves, no mercy, and absolute sheer relentlessness. Crushes him in about 45 minutes with a small crowd watching on probably wondering who this is. I decide I’m going to grab him for a chat as he goes off court and walks to the locker room. Barely a soul even approaches him as he marches back. He’s happy to talk and speaks amazing English to boot; a smart and intelligent young guy who is maybe not fully aware of the talent at his disposal and his own ability. The braces on his teeth and not fully developed physique add to the sense of something that is not yet the finished article; similar to Andy Murray when he broke onto the scene around 2005.

“I’ve been coming up in the Futures but I’ve had a lot of problems with injuries” he states. “I played this guy before and he beat me. I guess you could say i got revenge.”

You’re damn right you could.

Maybe Kolar should concentrate on his game and earning his stripes more than wearing ‘ZK” branded clothes, which should be reserved for the games elite. Not sure the sales of that will be going well after this result.

“I’ve never been this far in any tournament at this level, so I’m really happy,” Valkusz adds.

The former junior world No. 1 is clearly a humble kid who has been rocked by these career setbacks, namely shoulder issues. The frustration in his tone when talking about it hints at the desire to prove he can get close to players like Denis Shapovalov, with whom he previously competed.

Meanwhile, everyone wants to see the legendary figure of Robredo against home favorite Lorenzi. And to be fair to the Italian crowd, they turn up in numbers. They’re all still on the phone. And 80 percent of them probably never even knew who Lorenzi was last week, but they’re here nonetheless.

“Dai paolo!  DAI DAI DAI,” shouts one of the most obese men I’ve ever seen from the front row, where he sat for every Paolo match in the tournament. The bright red sun buddha roars him on almost every other point. Robredo battles gamely but it’s clear and it’s tough to admit: he’s done. There are small flashes of the vintage Robredo but all the effort in the world isn’t going to get him back to where he once was, no matter how many modern guru, ridiculously handlebar mustachioed physios you employ. Lorenzi does what he does and pummels him into submission with consistency.

But it’s all about Mate Valkusz for me now, though. He’s the man I want to watch. Clezar in the semifinal is a step up for the kid and he’s now in unchartered territory. Still: straight sets. Barely a flicker of emotion as he outplays the Brazilian despite a couple of moments where he is pushed into a response.

“To be honest I didn’t think I was going to get out of qualifications,” the 20-year-old admits. “I wasn’t playing well and my head was not here. Every match I play I’m getting fitter and fitter and my confidence is getting more and more.”

That’s clear to see and the way he he eases onto Centre Court in front of a decent size crowd of around a 1,000 or so suggests to me he’s comfortable; one of the ingredients of a top player.

However, now it’s a different proposition. A final against the home favorite Lorenzi. Valkusz’s first final at this level against a man who has been there and done it 20 times before. The Italian is like a gatekeeper to the main ATP tour; one of these players who is a solid pro that you’ve got to be able to battle past to get your rewards on the other side. The kid has been through qualies and you’re hoping he has enough left in the tank.

“My family are here to watch me so I’m really happy,” he explains. It’s clearly a big moment in the fledgling career.

The final starts tentatively and neither man is playing anywhere near their best. Valkusz serves under pressure at 3-4 and it’s a tame break riddled with unforced errors and poor shot choices. Set Lorenzi. The start of the second is equally disastrous and the underdog is staring at a potential 3-0 deficit. Lorenzi is doing what he does and being consistent without anything spectacular. I’m starting to fear this is going to be a massive blowout for Valkusz in his biggest date yet. But this lad isn’t about to lie down and just as he did earlier in the week, he comes to life when it’s most needed. A barrage of winners and sublime tennis suddenly has Lorenzi struggling. The Hungarian takes the set and drags it into a third.

“DAI PAOLO! DAI DAI DAI,” shouts the giant Lorenzi fan-boy from the front row. He’s panicking. The rest of the crowd are polite and applaud the quality of tennis the youngster is producing. Every time it looks like Lorenzi might sail away into the sunset, back comes Valkusz. Another sign of a top player, which the aforementioned Italian youngsters could do well to note. The fact the Italians aren’t on their phones now is a nod of appreciation in itself.  A ridiculous quality lob breaks Lorenzi back again as the twists and turns keep on coming and it’s on serve at 4-5. Valkusz needs to hold….

He can’t. Lorenzi keeps the error count down and keeps making him play the shots and Valkusz wilts at the end of a marathon week. It’s another title for the veteran as the home crowd cheer, somewhat in relief. The kid is clearly gutted but he’s done himself proud. The match has probably come too early and the tank was nearing empty, which he admits afterwards.

“I felt very tired today but I’m still very happy.”

So he should be. Lorenzi may have won, but ultimately this is a week I’ll remember for one man announcing himself to the tour. Take nothing away from Lorenzi; he does what he does very well and has made a great career through hard work and making the most of his talent. However,  who would I want to watch every week out of these two? It’s Valkusz, 100 percent.

Let’s hope he stays fit and reaches his true potential. After all, it was just last year that the likes of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini were in the same situation; the former having just played a Masters 1000 final a year on from losing in the Portoroz semifinals.

At the end of a week where it looked like a potential run-of-the-mill Challenger, a star may have emerged.