The 16-year-old Diego Dedura-Palomero received a wild card for the Temuco Challenger in Chile. A teenager used an opportunity to secure his second Challenger victory. He ousted Pedro Sakamoto 7-6, 6-1 in an hour and 34 minutes, prevailing in the opener and sailing through set number two.
Dedura-Palomero’s father is from Chile, and their tennis organization would love to see him abandoning the German flag and competing for them in the future. Diego added seven ATP points to his tally with the first-round victory, cracking the top-600 on the live ATP ranking list.
The young gun outplayed the more experienced rival behind the first and second serve. Dedura-Palomero defended six of eight break points and provided four breaks from ten opportunities, including three in a row.
Diego Dedura-Palomero, Temuco Challenger 2024© Stream screenshot
Dedura-Palomero edges Sakamoto in the opener
Sakamoto denied a break point in the first game of the match after a forced error. A left-hander held in the second game and made another push on the return in the next one. The German landed a forehand winner in the third game, clinching a break and opening a 2-1 advantage.
The 16-year-old held at love in game four and created another break chance in the next one. The Brazilian denied it with a service winner and generated three break points in the next one. Diego saved them and landed an ace down the T line, holding and moving 4-2 in front.
Dedura-Palomero closed the eighth game for a 5-3 lead, keeping the pressure on the other side. Pedro faced three set points on serve in the ninth game, saving them and prolonging the battle. A teenager wasted a set point on serve at 5-4 and got broken after a forced error, keeping his rival alive.
Diego Dedura-Palomero, Temuco Challenger 2024© Stream screenshot
Sakamoto wasted game points in the 11th game and suffered a break, sending his opponent 6-5 in front. Diego served for the opener for the second time in game 12 and placed a backhand wide, losing serve and experiencing a setback. However, the German recovered in the tie break.
He stole the rival’s serve three times for 4-1 before dropping two points on serve for more drama. Dedura-Palomero hit a forehand winner in the eighth point for 5-3 and generated set points after his fifth mini-break. Diego landed a backhand winner on the first, clinching the opener 7-6 in 62 minutes.
Diego storms over Pedro in set number two
The young German held at love at the beginning of the second set with a service winner. He welcomed the rival’s backhand error in the second game for a set and a break advantage. Diego denied a break point in the third game and closed it with a forehand winner for 3-0.
Sakamoto wasted a game point in the fourth game. He experienced the third straight break when the young gun cracked a forehand down the line winner. Dedura-Palomero forged a 5-0 lead with a service winner and served for the win at 5-1. The German wasted two match points.
A left-hander saved a break point with a service winner and landed another on the third match point to move over the top and celebrate his second Challenger victory.