Five reasons not to miss the “Sardinia Open”

On the fields of Monte Urpinu, from 1st to 7th May, racket enthusiasts will be able to admire a unique show, thanks to the premium event of the newly created Challenger 175 category. We'll explain why…

"You just can't miss it." How many times have we heard someone make use of this overused expression only to find ourselves disappointed by those who had given us bad advice. But this time it's different. In fact, if you love the sport conceived back in 1873 by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, there is an event that you just cannot miss and the reason is soon explained.

Meanwhile, what will be staged from 1 to 7 May in the splendid setting of the Cagliari Tennis Club is one of the most delicious first fruits. Great tennis returns to Italy with the European debut of the new "Challenger 175" category - already nicknamed "Super Challenger" - designed by the ATP precisely to offer great entertainment, allowing very high ranking players to take part in tournaments which, until last year, they were off limits. A real revolution that arises from the need to create a new opportunity for the top players, in the second week of some Masters 1000 (in the case of the island tournament, that of Madrid). To make this possible, the ATP has eliminated the restriction on the top 50, so much so that on a theoretical level, at the "Sardegna Open" you could have a scoreboard with all those registered by right of classification within the top 30.

Leaving aside the conditional, the main draw of the Sardinian tournament is already one to satisfy the most discerning palates, obviously net of the results that will come out of the first week in the Spanish Masters 1000. If the 26-year-old Croatian Borna Coric is leading the seeding, already behind him, among the members, we find the number 20 Atp Lorenzo Musetti, a talent that alone is worth the price of the ticket. And, to stay on the subject of blue stars, Lorenzo Sonego and Marco Cecchinato are also on the draw. On the subject of "Next Gen", spectators will be able to admire a champion with a sure future, the surprise of the last Australian Open Ben Shelton, a twenty-year-old from Atlanta who is discovering the charm of red clay. And, still on the subject of Americans, there will also be a lot of fun with Maxime Cressy's serve and volleyball, one of the last exponents of an endangered species.

And this brings us straight to the third reason why it would be unforgivable to miss out on the tournament which takes place in the Monte Urpinu tennis complex. The technical level of these "175" is very similar to that of an ATP 250 precisely because this category of tournaments was designed with the aim of letting the big players play, avoiding too long breaks in view of the major events of the Tour. translated means that everything is possible. Even the most unexpected surprise could materialize at the last minute in Sardinia. As happened in Phoenix, Arizona, a tournament in which the Italian Matteo Berrettini also took part, after being defeated in his debut in Indian Wells. Only the absolute ban on participation remains for the top 10, for all the others - today, for example, between 14th and 16th position in the ATP ranking we find Nadal, Hurkacz and Zverev - the doors of Tc Cagliari are potentially open.

The fourth reason has a more romantic flavor because the tournament in the Sardinian capital will be played inside a club, which players always like a lot, as seen in Monte Carlo or, this week, in Barcelona. Compared to tournaments in large stadiums, such as Indian Wells and Miami, or those in cold and aseptic sports halls, appointments in tennis clubs give the big names the sensation of returning to a bit of a child, to the times when they could lie down on an armchair, exchange a few chats with club members, waiting for their turn to take the field, while maintaining tranquility and privacy.

And we come to the fifth and last reason not to miss this show: the location. The Cagliari Tennis Club is immersed in the suggestive green oasis of the Monte Urpinu hill. With its 13 tennis courts, in over half a century of activity, the Sardinian club has hosted six matches of Italy in the Davis Cup (the match won in 1990 by Paolino Canè on Mats Wilander remains memorable) and the final, won by blue, of Fed Cup 2013. Today, in view of the "Super Challenger", an important modernization intervention is underway at the Cagliari club, with the aim of making the structure even more welcoming and allowing the public to follow the matches in the best possible way . A new grandstand on Field 14 will allow access to enthusiasts with a simple Ground ticket and then an interesting novelty also on field 13, especially for the little ones, thanks to a "Kids Village" intended to welcome a thousand children every day .