:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/TPGFIEKOJFBU7LPNDI4Y2WVDLA.jpg)
After eliminating Russian Alexandr Shevchenko in the round of 16, Juan Pablo Varillas had the illusion of performing well against Arthur Fils and qualifying for the semifinals of the ATP 250 of Antwerp; however, the Frenchman was a true wall and completely nullified the production of Peru's number one racket. With a great level, the European player won in straight sets (6-0 and 6-3). 'Juanpi' has to recover quickly because he will be playing in the ATP 500 Vienna qualifiers this weekend.
In just under an hour of play, the French tennis player, ranked 38th in the world, had no problem defeating the national athlete (69th ATP) in the quarterfinals. He showed great efficiency by converting all four breakpoints he obtained and saving the two against him. A duel that will serve Varillas well for the upcoming competitions.
In general, despite the tough defeat this Friday, Juan Pablo is closing a good week playing on a hard surface (indoor), which he is not accustomed to. However, there is no time for regrets, as he must quickly face a new competition. It is the ATP 500 Vienna, where he will face Filip Misolic, ranked 181st in the world.
It is worth mentioning that Peru's number 1 racket has been in the top 100 for 45 weeks, and 35 of them consecutively (in addition, 15 weeks in the top 70). At the moment, he is ranked 66th in the live rankings and is consolidating himself among the top 70 in the world.
Arthur Fils, on the other hand, qualified for the semifinals of the ATP 250 of Antwerp, where he will face the number 1 seed of the tournament, Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (7th), who defeated German Yannick Hanfmann (6-3, 6-3). This is the first time the two players will face each other, and it promises to be a memorable duel for tennis lovers.
Varillas will not participate in the Pan American Games
Juan Pablo Varillas announced that he will not travel to Chile with the Peruvian Tennis Team to participate in the Pan American Games Santiago 2023. The reason is that he will focus on his upcoming challenges in the ATP circuit, with the aim of continuing to grow professionally.
“Representing my country has been a great responsibility and honor for me. I always tried to do it in the best possible way, achieving incredible dreams and goals,” commented the tennis player. “This time, by my own decision and jointly with my team, we have decided to focus on my personal career and therefore not participate in the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games,” he added.
Get our newsletter: we will send you the best sports content, as Depor always does.