Perfect Podlipnik Takes Title at Chile F12
Chile’s number one ranked tennis player Hans Podlipnik has finished the year with titles in singles and doubles at Chile’s F12 tournament.
Podlipnik went into the tournament ranked 198, with the Club Palestino event his ninth title of the year. The final rankings of the year saw “H-Pod” up 15 places to 183.
Having finished the previous year at 286, 2014 has been an improvement for the 26-year-old. Podlipnik collected an impressive nine trophies in singles, though all came at the Futures level.
The F12, the last of Chile’s futures tournaments was a perfect tournament for Podlipnik, who brushed aside Austria’s Michael Linzer in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-1. Coming through the previous rounds, the Austrian, ranked 490 in the world, gave a surprise to both Gonzalo Lama and Christian Garín.
Podlipnik battled to reach the final, having gone to three sets with Jorge Aguilar, before eventually winning a tiebreak against France’s Maxime Hamou.
Hans Podlipnik, Futuro Chile 12, Club Palestino pic.twitter.com/FZdU3kDXNc
— Christopher Lenton (@lenton_chris) December 26, 2014
Aside from winning the singles, seeing him become the Chilean with the most Futures titles. His 22 sees him overtake Aguilar. Both are likely to fight for a place in the Davis Cup team, with Nicolás Massú set on the projection of Gonzalo Lama, Nicolás Jarry and Christian Garín.
33-year-old Julio Peralta made it three tournament victories in a row when he teamed up with Podlipnik to defeat Gonzalo Lama and Uruguay’s Ariel Behar.
Once ranked 212 in the world in singles, the veteran has made an emphatic comeback, winning both singles and doubles at the F30 in the USA before going on with the show. After adding to his lone doubles title from 2008, he now has five, almost catching his singles record. Peralta has eight singles titles, including the Belo Horizonte Challenger in 2003.
The final title of the year saw the all Chilean duo win in straight sets. While they were pushed to a tiebreak in the first, it was plain sailing to win 7-6 (3), 6-2.
The list below shows the victors at each of the Futures tournaments held in Chile this year. Chile also hosted the ATP event in Viña del Mar for the last time, won by Italy’s Fabio Fognini. The Santiago Challenger was won by Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker, with Garín and Jarry winning the doubles after Podlipnik succumbed to injury.
That tournament marked the changing of the guard, with H-Pod overtaking Paul Capdeville, who retired after the tournament. Podlipnik and Lama have been battling for Chile’s top spot, with Jarry becoming a key contender. The teen sensation is now ranked above Lama.
All three will take part in the qualifying tournament for the Australian Open.
Chile F1 – Club Providencia – Singles: Gonzalo Lama (d. Nicolás Jarry). Doubles: Jorge Aguilar/Guillermo Nuñez (d. Victor Nuñez/Ricardo Urzúa)
Chile F2 – Con Con – Singles: Hans Podlipnik (d. Gonzalo Lama). Doubles: Hans Podlipnik/Jorge Aguilar (d. Bruno Sant’Anna/Caio Zampieri (Brazil)).
Chile F3 – Villa Alemana – Singles: Caio Zampieri (Brazil) (d. Matias Sborowitz). Doubles: Guillermo Rivera/Cristobál Saavedra (d. Nicolás Jarry/Guillermo Nuñez)
Chile F4 – Club Palestino – Singles: Jorge Aguilar (d. Jose Pereira (Brazil)). Doubles: Fabricio Neis/Jose Pereira (Brazil) (d. Cristobal Saavedra/Ricardo Urzúa)
Chile F5 – Coquimbo – Singles: Hans Podlipnik (d. Nicolás Kicker (Argentina)). Doubles: Fabricio Neis/Jose Pereira (Brazil) (d. Victor Nuñez/Hans Podlipnik).
Chile F6 – Villa Alemana – Singles: Cristobál Saavedra (d. Jose Pereira (Brazil)). Doubles: Cristobál Saavedra/Ricardo Urzúa (d. Jorge Monterro/Simon Navarro)
Chile F7 – Concepción – Singles: Matías Sborowitz (d. Franco Agamenone (Argentina). Doubles: Cristobál Saavedra/Ricardo Urzúa (d. Julian Busch/Gutavo Vellbach (Argentina))
Chile F8 – Temuco – Singles: Guillermo Rivera (d. Jorge Aguilar). Doubles: Juan Pablo Paz/Leandro Portmann (Argentina) (d. Eduardo Torre/Gonzalo Villanueva (Argentina))
Chile F9 – Osorno – Singles: Hans Podlipnik (d. Julio Peralta). Doubles: Hans Podlipnik/Cristobál Saavedra (d. Martin Cuevas/Rodrigo Senatorre (Uruguay)
Chile F10 – Stade Francais – Singles: Hans Podlipnik (d. Juan Carlos Sáez). Doubles: Julio Peralta/Matt Seeberger (USA) (d. Martin Cuevas (Uruguay)/Gustavo Guerses (Brazil)
Chile F11 – Villa Alemana – Singles: Bastián Malla (d. Tomás Lipovsek Puches (Argentina). Doubles: Julio Peralta/Ricardo Urzúa (d. Nicolás Arreche/Tomás Lipovsek Puches (Argentina)
Chile F12 – Club Palestino – Singles: Hans Podlipnik (d. Michael Linzer (Austria)). Doubles: Hans Podlipnik/Julio Peralta (d. Gonzalo Lama/Ariel Behar (Uruguay).
The first two Futures tournaments will take place in Viña del Mar in February, giving the city something to look forward to in place of the regular ATP event.
Most of Chile’s female players have had a disappointing end to the year on the rankings. Andrea Koch finishes the year as the pick of the Chileans at 351. Daniela Seguel is ranked 443, only three places ahead of Fernanda Brito (446). Cecilia Costa comes in a long way down the order at 754. The 2010 South American Games champion is considering retirement from the sport. Ivania Martinich is in the top 5, only just inside the top 1000 at 995.
The picture is brighter in doubles, with Seguel ranked at 144, Costa at 376 and Brito at 444.
About the Author
Daniel Boyle Founder of @sportslashlife. Australian living in Chile. Freestyle footbag player and passionate sports fan.
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