#itf antalya

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ITF M15 Antalya (May 1) F: Luciano Emiliano Ambrogi def. Yshai Oliel [2] 6-2, 7-5 Match Recap

Yshai Oliel's point at 2-4* 0-0 to 15-0, 1st set (📸 ITF Media)

This week’s Antalya (M15) final featured second seed Yshai Oliel and another up and coming Argentinean youngster in Luciano Emanuel Ambrogi. While the former makes it to his first ITF final this year after a rollercoaster comeback, Ambrogi sought for his maiden ITF title in his upward trajectory career.

Oliel started aggressively by pressing Ambrogi from the baseline, eventually breaking early to 1-0 thanks to a working volley, before consolidating it to 2-0. However, Ambrogi found a way to break back, setting a break point also with a successful volley before Oliel’s forehand error converted it. The match was then level to 2-2, and Oliel also had his chances with having tons of break points, but Ambrogi was clutch enough to save them. For some reason, Ambrogi broke to 3-2 before he doubled the break to 5-2 at the exense of Oliel’s cross-court forehand error, which was rewarded with a love-hold to convincingly take the first set 6-2.

Luciano Emiliano Ambrogi's point at 4-4* 30-30 to 30-40 (top) and match point conversion to 7-5, 2nd set (bottom) (📸 🎥 ITF Media)

Oliel tried to step up in the second set, but it was insufficient to turn the tables. Initially, Oliel held to 1-0 after a forehand winner, while he broke thanks to his increased, controlled aggression, hence he got the break to 3-1. He also produced a forehand winner from the post to secure his lead at *4-2 15-0, before he eventually got broken thanks to Ambrogi’s pressure from the net. A drop shot, for example, converted his break point to 3-4 and creating another break point to 4-4* 30-40, before the latter got converted thanks to his forehand winner to follow up his preceding drop shots.

Eventually, Ambrogi had two chances to serve for the match, one fumbled thanks to Oliel’s long overdue successful drop shot for his second break point, before he converted it with a forehand winner to break back 5-5. Ambrogi took this personally and break back yet again, assisted by another drop shot to secure his 3 break points. The second chance appeared for Ambrogi, who successfully served for his maiden ITF title thanks to his forehand winner for him to hold to love. On the other hand, this could still remain a positive week for Oliel, as he is on his way to build back his rank after a season-ending injury last year.

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ITF M15 Antalya (Apr 10) R2: Juan Manuel La Serna [Q] def. Yshai Oliel [5] 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Match Recap

📸 🎥 ITF Media

After making splashes by defeating Sarp Agabigun 6-2, 6-0 in the first round (extending his win-lose record to 11-3), he faced fifth seed Yshai Oliel in the second round, who previously defeated Mathyas Fuele 6-0, 7-6(6) in the previous round. On paper, this might not be easy, and the field showed how close this match got.

La Serna held his service game to 1-0 before he double-faulted twice to get broken 2-0. Since then, Oliel started to control the rhythm in spite of La Serna's equalizing attempt thanks to his point construction. Furthermore, Oliel got more aggressive by getting the points down-the-line, hence La Serna got run over to be 2 points behind. A forehand winner converted Oliel's break point to 4-1 before a rushed forehand winner confirmed Oliel to take the first set 6-3.

However, the tables started to turn in the second set. This started when La Serna had a working volley to be 2 points ahead right ar the start of the second set, where Oliel ended up holding thanks to his aggressive, defense-to-offense approach. Oliel ended up facing another round of break point because of his poor shot selection (e.g. a failed volley instead of, theoretically, smashing it, hence his second break point of that game). There were several breaking games in this set due to their error sprees, which fumbled Oliel's game point until La Serna broke again to 4-3 thanks to his forehand return angle. La Serna ended up holding his service game to 5-3 before serving for the set 6-3, especially because of Oliel's random baseline-bashing.

The flow of the third set was similar to the second, except it boiled down to the last few points. Oliel initially had the momentum when he led 2-0 (breaking after La Serna's forehand error), only to be broken back 2 games later. After 3 holding games, Oliel started to be outpaced due to his shot errors while finishing. La Serna's forehand passing shot then caught the attention since he broke 5-3 with it, and successfully served for the match a game later to 6-3 after an unreturned serve. It was indeed the critical points, still a long way to go for Oliel then.

In the quarterfinals, La Serna will face the first seed Dragos Nicolae Madaras, who defeated Daniil Panarin 6-3, 6-1 earlier in the second round. Madaras is on a different roll since he won 4 ITF titles to start this year, setting a goal on winning 10 titles at the end. This would be an interesting test to La Serna's form, so it is worth seeing how it looks later.

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ITF M25 Antalya (Jan 23) SF: Gergely Madarasz [5] def. Yshai Oliel [3] 6-4, 7-5 Match Recap

📽 ITF Media

The other semifinal in the ITF Antalya this week has the fifth seed Gergely Madarasz facing the third seed Yshai Oliel, the latter who advanced to his first semifinals this year. This turned out to be a close match, which boiled down to the pressure points handling for one to prevail.

Oliel started well by having 2 break points. However, they were not converted because of a failed volley and a slice error, in which enabled Madarasz to hold by the end of that game. Several error sprees made Madarasz able to break at 4-3, where he converted his set point two games later after Oliel misfired his forehand.

The level increased a little in the second set, where Oliel tried to raise his after a close first set. However, he got run over when he tried to close a point with a slice for Madarasz's 2 break points at 3-3* to 15-40. That break point was saved with an ace, but was not enough because of a forehand error to get broken. He then broke back at 4-4 at the expense of Madarasz's forehand misfires in the last 2 points, but it was not enough to create or stay in the moment. Another missed shot, including a missed volley, opened an opportunity for Madarasz to serve for the match (to Oliel's dismay), which was done without many hiccups.

Madarasz will then face Alex Barrena, who advanced after Carlos Gimeno Valero retired while trailing 2-6, 0-3 earlier. Knowing Barrena at his peak at this time being, it would be interesting to follow what this final offers!

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ITF M25 Antalya (Jan 23) D SF: Cengiz Aksu/Gorkberk Saritas def. Yshai Oliel/Lior Goldenberg 6-4, 6-4 Match Recap

📽 ITF Media

Just several hours after the singles quarterfinals, Yshai Oliel competed in the doubles semifinals with Lior Goldenberg, facing a local pair in Cengiz Aksu/Gorkberk Saritas. An exciting match in itself, it all boiled down to the handling of the pressure points toward the end of the set.

First, Aksu/Saritas somehow broke early at 1-0 after Goldenberg missed his shot. In the fifth game, Oliel successfully scored a volley to secure a break point, before they broke back because Aksu/Saritas' shot went wide. The latter pair's forehand winner to be one point ahead to 3-2* 0-15 grabbed attention, where Oliel/Goldenberg eventually was able to hold that game. Eventually, Aksu/Saritas took the first set 6-4 a point after Goldenberg missed the volley, which was caused by Oliel's missed forehand.

📸 ITF Media

The second set was as narrow as the first set. Oliel/Goldenberg broke early only for Aksu/Saritas to directly break back. In another deciding point, where Oliel/Goldenberg had 2 break points, one was saved after a working volley, and eventually Aksu/Saritas held at 3-2.

After several holding games, there was a close call where Aksu/Saritas' forehand winner was almost out for several millimeters. That paved a way for them to break for the match, which happened after Goldenberg's failed backhand lob and the Turkish pair's successful volley to close the rally.

Aksu/Saritas will then face Davide Gallopini/Matteo de Vincentis for this week's doubles title, who defeated Marcel Zielinski/Petro Pavlenko 7-5, 6-3. For Oliel (and maybe Goldenberg for hitting), while his singles semifinals are up next tomorrow, it can be a good recovery form-building right before the away Davis Cup tie in Latvia (which is played on rather, indoor hard).

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ITF M25 Antalya (Jan 23) QF: Yshai Oliel [3] def. Davide Galoppini 6-4, 6-1 Match Recap

📽 ITF Media

The third seed Yshai Oliel, who last week suffered from an early exit (l. Mert Alkaya 6-2, 4-6, 6-7(6) in the first round), advanced to his first quarterfinal of the year after ending his season early last year due to a left foot injury. His opposition is Davide Gallopini, who last week was defeated by Alex Marti Pujolras in straight sets back in the second round. This match saw several aspects being tested in this comeback trail.

The match began with a drop shot festival between both players, where Gallopini was spotted pulling drop shots once in a while. This was directly responded by Oliel's drop shot to equalize the point to *2-3 30-30. Subsequently, Gallopini had 2 break points stemmed at the expense of Oliel's misfire (the last one was aimed to be a down-the-line shot, but to no avail). Oliel then held at 3-3 after a running forehand winner.

Still in the first set, Oliel subsequently broke at 4-3, where Gallopini got run over. However, the former double-faulted to be broken back after a brilliant net game from Gallopini to create the game point, ending that shot with a forehand a point before. The breaking game continued with Oliel breaking back at 5-4, with the forehand down-the-line winner secured his break point before its conversion. One game after, Oliel held to love and successfully served for the set at 6-4, topping it with an unreturned serve.

Oliel appeared more aggressive and asserted his control in the second set than the first. After converting a break point right at the first game, Oliel progressed his net game further with several notable successful volleys, including on his first service game at *1-0 15-0. There was a little hiccup where Gallopini had a break point because of Oliel's failed volley response, but Oliel eventually held at 3-1. Gallopini had his chances, but his constant misfiring enabled Oliel to be ahead a double break, and he did not look back since. To top it off, Gallopini double-faulted at 5-1* to 15-30, opening an opportunity for Oliel to open his bakery: he served the breadstick after securing his match point with a working volley to close a rally, and responded well in his return until Gallopini missed his forehand.

In the semifinals, Oliel will face the winner between qualifier Manuel Plunger and Gegely Madarasz, which match is still in progress by the time this was written. This would definitely be a confidence-booster, along with a deep doubles run with Lior Goldenberg, which quarterfinal will be played several hours later.