The J100 Galileo University Cup lowered the curtain this Saturday after two weeks of intense international competition, leaving the Guatemalan as the main protagonist Ronaldo Cotomwho reached the final of a tournament of this category for the first time and confirmed his growth in the ITF youth circuit.
The competition, organized by Rackets & Golf with the endorsement of the National Field Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), brought together in Guatemala outstanding U18 tennis players from different countries in search of valuable points for the world ranking.
Cotom came into the decider after an outstanding campaign that included a solid victory over Brazilian Rafael Gama 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinals. In the final he met the American Charles Minvielle, who had also surprised by eliminating the top favorite, the Turkish Samim Filliz.
From the start of the match, Minvielle imposed conditions with consistent tennis to win the first set 6-1. In the second set he took a 5-2 lead, but the Guatemalan reacted with character, recovered a break and got closer to 5-4, putting pressure on his rival. Even so, the American remained calm in the decisive moments and sealed the 6-4 victory to win the title.
Despite the defeat, Cotom closed the best week of his youth career by playing in his first final of a J100 tournament and leaving a pleasant impression on the local public.
In the women’s division, South Korean Sera Park was proclaimed champion by beating American Sofía Dvortsova 6-0, 6-3. Although the 14-year-old girl took a 3-1 lead in the second set, Park reacted with authority to come back and secure the championship.
With this result, the Galileo University Cup once again established itself as one of the main showcases of international youth tennis in Guatemala, bringing together emerging talents and offering an ideal setting for the development of new promises. Ronaldo Cotom’s performance also left an encouraging sign for national tennis and projects him as one of the names to follow in the near future.