DARDERI PRINCE OF UMBRIA: AFTER TODI THERE IS PERUGIA
In ten months only one thing has changed: everything. In August Luciano Darderi won the Todi Challenger as number 250 in the world, today he triumphs at the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia | G.I.Ma. Tennis Cup and reaches the Top 40. An overwhelming performance by the 2002 class who will represent Italy at the Olympic Games in Paris, nothing to do for Sumit Nagal defeated 6-1 6-2. The new ATP number 34, as well as number 3 in Italy, won the third Challenger of his career without losing a set. Respecting the predictions for the whole week was not a given, but Luciano managed not to disappoint the expectations of the public. The ninth edition of the ATP Challenger 125 tournament organized by MEF Tennis Events at the Tennis Club Perugia ended with the first victory of an Italian, after Edoardo Lavagno stopped in the final last year.
Darderi: “The guys’ cheering? It’s beautiful because I had the same dream as them” – After the match point there was a blaze of applause for him, Luciano Darderi won the 2024 edition of the Perugia Challenger. The final against the tough Sumit Nagal ended with a peremptory 6-1 6-2 for the Italian, who got his hands on the second title of the season after the ATP 250 in Cordoba which a few months ago pushed him into the Top 100. The climb in the rankings was rapid and from Monday he will be number 34 in the world and number 3 in Italy, placing himself one position ahead of Matteo Arnaldi. “I didn’t expect such a fast final. Sumit is having a great season, coming off a Challenger win in Germany and he’s a tough opponent – the final comment of “Luli” -. I’m happy to be the first Italian to win in Perugia and I’m happy to have done it in front of my family. The MEF Tennis Events tournaments are always well organized”. Accompanied by his family on the ride to Todi, everyone was there with Luciano in Perugia too; helped by the proximity of the Umbrian city with his Fano. Coach and father Gino Darderi (honored on Father’s Day in Argentina), his promising brother Vito, his mother, his girlfriend and many other members of the team and family. “It all came together: number 3 in Italy and the Olympics. Until a year ago people didn’t know me, now many are cheering for me and the kids ask me for photos and autographs. I’m happy because they play tennis and have the dream that I had”. Darderi is already leaving for Germany, he will open his swing on grass in Halle against the German Struff. Then the ATP 250 in Mallorca and Wimbledon: “The first two weeks will help me get into the rhythm and play Wimbledon at my best. There are many strong players on grass, for me the most important thing will be to stay healthy”.
The joy of Marcello Marchesini – “This club is fantastic. The tournament started quietly at the time of the first edition, it has grown and since last year it has really exploded. We were already more than satisfied, but we didn’t think we could reach the peak of these days. This year the Internationals were worth an ATP 250 both for the protagonists on the court (Fognini, Darderi, Coric, Passaro, Altmaier, Djere, Nagal and many others) and for the response of the public that gave us three sold-out evenings: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday”. Marcello Marchesini, president of MEF Tennis Events, couldn’t be happier at the end of the 9th edition of the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia. Tennis has once again conquered the city and is now a key event in the Umbrian sports calendar: “We have never seen Perugia like this. There have been nine editions of the Challenger, but ten major tournaments have been played here. After the pandemic, Sonego won a very high-level event here. Perugia is a special place for me. I am proud of the work of the MEF Tennis Events team, especially that of my daughters Elena and Federica, who have worked hard to promote the event in the city over the years”. With this tournament now over, great tennis will return to Umbria in August with the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Todi (12-17 August): “We at MEF have passed the halfway point of our season. After three tournaments in Tenerife, the WTA 125 in Parma and Perugia, we are at 5. We still have Todi and Olbia, then we will start again from Tenerife in 2025”.