ATP Challenger Todi: Cedric-Marcel Stebe with good chances of the semi-finals
Two matches, two wins without losing a set and only eight games submitted. This is the flawless record of Cedrik-Marcel Stebe since the restart of the ATP Challenger Tour. After the two successes over the Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori and the French Elliot Benchtrit, the 29-year-old German is in the quarter-finals of the Internazionali Di Tennis Citta Di Todi.
by Florian Heer
last edit:
Aug 20, 2020, 08:03 am
From Florian Heer from Todi
Stebe showed no nakedness in the second round of the 88,250 euro clay court tournament on Wednesday. With a 6-4, 6-0, number 4 on the seeding list ended the match against Benchetrit after just one hour and 17 minutes. Despite over 35 degrees on the Campo Centrale, immediately after the transformed match ball, coach Lukas Wolff went to the training court next door.
"Today I had a bit of problems with my serve and after I have a day off tomorrow, we wanted to work on the ball," Stebe explained after another 30 minutes under the sun of central Italy in the subsequent interview with a view of the city panorama under a shadow Baum on the spacious grounds of the Tennis Club Todi 1971. “I played solid today. But it wasn't always easy, because the place is a bit uneven in one place or another and the balls sometimes bounce. But I did quite well and was able to pull his tooth. "
Italy fan Stebe
Stebe, who is at the start at the tournament in Umbria for the first time, feels very comfortable there. “I've always enjoyed playing Challenger in Italy. I like the relaxed Italian mentality and the food. "
The Baden native does not bother the new circumstances with regard to hygiene guidelines that accompany everyday tournament life in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. “The tournament organizers here are doing a good job. They pay attention to compliance with the mask requirement on the premises and I do not feel any major cuts in personal freedom. If it continues like this, I have no concerns that the tour can work again. "
Increased competition
When asked about her goals for the rest of the season, the former number 71 in the world gives the slogan to return to the top 100 of the ATP rankings. “By participating in the national DTB tournament series, I was able to regain a certain level of match strength during the tour break. You need this to be able to survive on an international level. Physically, I'm in good shape. In terms of play, I'm perhaps not quite at 100 percent yet. "
The competition in the restarted tennis circus is also not decreasing. "It will be more difficult to achieve the goal, as fewer tournaments take place and the entry lists are very well filled," states Stebe. “If you look at the cut with place 31 at the ATP event in Kitzbühel, then people between 50 and 100 in the ranking will be forced to play the Challenger. This finally continues down to the ITF World Tennis Tour. Players who are further down in the ranking are thus also deprived of their livelihood. This is a difficult situation and I hope that further tournament cancellations can be avoided with the help of the ATP. "
Hope to start at the US Open
Whether Stebe will accompany the Italian swing on the Challenger tour in the coming weeks is still in the stars at the moment. He continues to toying with participation in the US Open. “I am currently in fourth place in the alternates for the main field. Until Friday I have to decide whether I will stay on the Challenger list next week in Trieste or try to compete in New York, ”explains the veteran.
But first it goes on in the quarter-finals of Todi. However, there will not be a purely German duel with Daniel Altmaier. The 21-year-old from Kempen had to admit defeat to local hero Gian Marco Moroni 6-3, 4-6, 4-6 after a two-hour fight.
"Playing against Italian players here is never easy," said Stebe, commenting on the next challenge. However, if the left-hander can confirm the form he has shown so far, he should also be able to move into the last four.