Adrian Mannarino will bid for his second Van Alen Cup in three years while Zachary Svajda seeks his first. The title match is Sunday, July 13
NEWPORT – A past champion and a player who might consider spending some time in the area after retirement will meet in the men’s final of the revamped Hall of Fame Open.
Adrian Mannarino will bid for his second Van Alen Cup in three years while Zachary Svajda remains in the hunt for his first. Both booked places in the title round with semifinal victories under Saturday sunshine.
Mannarino started quickly and closed strong in a 6-2, 7-5 triumph over qualifier Antoine Ghibaudo. Svajda protected his serve nicely and capitalized on a pair of breaks to hand Connecticut native Eliot Spizzirri a 6-3, 6-4 setback.
“It’s really good for me to be back in a final,” Mannarino said. “When I came here my goal was the qualify for the U.S. Open, and I knew that I needed to make at least the quarters.”
“This sport, you don’t make finals a whole lot,” Svajda said. “I’m going to cherish the moment and be really happy with myself.”
Mannarino and Ghibaudo have worked with the same coach in their native France, and Mannarino said Ghibaudo was 15 the first time they hit together. That past experience helped the 37-year-old veteran return serve at an elite level, as Mannarino broke seven times and won 57% of points played with Ghibaudo at the line.
“I know his favorite spots to hit,” Mannarino said. “I was just trying to go with my instincts and I was able to be pretty brave.”
Ghibaudo served for the second set twice and again at 5-5, losing all three games and bringing the match to an early end. Mannarino cleverly lured him to the net with a drop shot and steered a forehand pass up the line at 30-40, securing his final break and setting up the only chance the left-hander needed to serve out the match.
“I was just trying to make one more, and then one more,” Mannarino said. “When he served for the set I felt like he got a little tight and I was able to take advantage.”
Svajda won a superb 83% of points when he put a first serve in play and saved all five break points against him. He cracked 28 winners to just 16 for Spizzirri, using hard, flat strokes off each wing to dictate play. A forehand up the line at 2-2 in the second put Svajda in command of the match for good.
“It suits my game well,” Svajda said. “I like the grass a lot, and I don’t get to play a lot on it.”
Svajda was carrying some confidence from a semifinal appearance last month in England, another grass run during which he dispatched former top-5 player Marin Cilic in the Round of 16. This will be his sixth Challenger final and his first since January 2024. He’s enjoyed a taste of an opposite coast this week, settling in quickly across the country from his San Diego home.
“I love the town,” Svajda said. “A lot of good restaurants. I could see myself moving here when I’m older.”
Mannarino made comfortable work of the 2023 final, handing then-teenage standout Alex Michelsen a 6-2, 6-4 lesson. That was one of his five ATP crowns – this will be a first Challenger title match for Mannarino since 2020. He’s already cracked the world top 100 again and should be exempt from qualifying in New York next month.
“Even when I have a bad week, I keep on working,” Mannarino said. “I feel like the consistency of my fitness is a really important part of my game.”
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here's who will play for the Van Alen Cup at Newport Hall of Fame Open
Category: General Sports
