Diego Forlan made his debut on the tennis court at the ATP doubles tournament in Montevideo. However, the former soccer star and his partner Federico Coria lost in their opening game.
The spectators had fun and the organizers even raved about Diego Forlan’s football magic at a ball like he once did at the 2010 World Cup. However, the debut as a tennis professional for the now 45-year-old former Uruguayan football superstar ended in a clear defeat.
In doubles alongside Argentine Federico Coria, who is 13 years his junior, Forlan lost 1:6, 2:6 in the first round of the Uruguay Open. The duo had received a wildcard for the tournament on the second-tier ATP Challenger Tour.
Boris Becker as a role model
“I enjoyed it a lot,” said Forlan, despite the sportingly clear matter: “I knew that there was a very high probability that it would be a difficult game for us.” He prepared accordingly so that he didn’t have a bad time and was able to enjoy it, explained the ex-footballer, who had only competed in amateur tennis tournaments in recent years and had developed a passion for playing tennis as a child. “I often watched Boris Becker,” he said before his professional appearance in Montevideo.
In any case, the stands in Montevideo were well filled. When Forlan managed a wonderful volley stop against the Bolivian double Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos during a rally, it became loud in the stands. “Forlan’s magical touch, like at the 2010 World Cup,” wrote the Challenger Tour X.
Best player at the 2010 World Cup
More than 14 years ago at the World Cup in South Africa, Forlan led the Uruguay national team to the semi-finals. There the South Americans failed against the Dutch; in the game for third place, Forlan and his colleagues lost 2-3 against Germany. At that time, Forlan was named the best player of the tournament. He ended his football career in 2019 after stints at Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, as well as clubs such as Kitchee from Hong Kong and Mumbai City from India.
dpa
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