Eduardo Schwank is on the rankings climb again and he’s strong favourite against qualifier Marco Trungelliti in today’s Cali Challenger semis.
Schwank was ranked 48 in the world and a feature in the Argentine Davis Cup side barely eighteen months ago but the fates have not smiled fondly on the 25 year old from Rosario in 2011. After missing most of the summer with injury he’s now ranked 222 although he showed his real ability in Brazil last week, reaching the semis of the Belo Horizonte challenger.
He’s eased through the rounds here in Cali without dropping a set, seeing off third seed Facundo Bagnis 6-3, 6-4 in the quarters. He looked set for a semi-final clash with old team-mate Horacio Zeballos but the top seed really didn’t turn up in his quarter-final, going down 7-6(3), 2-6, 7-6(5) to Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti, a 21 year old qualifier on the rise.
With few European players willing to risk the vast travel expenses of competing in South America and the hostile conditions which can await them there, Schwank will be looking to end the season well inside the top 150 with a host of these fairly weak events still to come over the coming months.
He should make the final here where he’ll probably face second seed Alejandro Falla.
