Alex Degabriele, second year student, who recently represented Malta in the Senior and Junior Davis Cup in Cyprus and France respectively. He also took part in the European U18 Championships in Switzerland. Additionally, Alex returned from Porto with a very encouraging result in the ITF G4 U18 tournament, reaching the Quarter Final Stage.
Alex managed to win two matches in the qualifying round, easing his way through the preliminary tournament with scores of 6-3, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-2. In the main draw, Alex won his first round with a score of 6-1, 6-4.
In the second round Alex fought hard to win a three-hour match with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (9) after surviving a scare in the third set tie-break, saving two match points in the process.
In the round of 16, Alex had to fight hard once again to beat his opponent with a score of 5-7, 6-0, 7-5, yet again saving seven match points in the third round before eventually making it to the quarter final stage.
Unfortunately, after five consecutive wins and more than 12 hours on court, Alex lost to one of Switzerland’s finest players with a score of 6-4, 6-1. Alex managed to stay head-to-head with his opponent for an hour, playing the best tennis of the tournament but falling short to the eventual winner of the tournament.
In the doubles tournament, Alex partnered with a Spanish player and the team won two matches before losing out to a very strong team from the UK at the Quarterfinal stage.