Varillas, Buse, the team: the lessons that Peruvian determination leaves in the Davis Cup against Chile

Brand new uniform, with the red and white always well worn, the Peruvian tennis team got ready to compete against Chile in the Davis Cup Qualifiers this first weekend of February. Despite the favorable final result for the rival, we cannot complain about the notable performance of our national squad. He was one point away from winning the series. Not even the most optimistic person had so much faith.

The emotion was lived minute by minute with a tie that had us all with our hearts in our mouths. The series escaped us at the decisive point, we were “so close but so far” against a Chilean team that knew what they were facing, with much more experience on hard courts and playing at home, but with immense joy and satisfaction of having left the name of Peru high.

The revelation of this series

A new promise of Peruvian tennis has been born that, from now on, is already in the showcase of the entire world of sport: Ignacio Buse, Nacho, He closed more than one mouth in the middle of a difficult crowd with a special victory against Nicolás Jarry, the first racket player in his country and the best Latin American tennis player currently. Jarry defined the clash with the Peruvian like this: “The game happened thanks to him. Everything fit him. She hit him badly, it entered him. She played it with a second winning serve, it came out and played without pressure”.

Ignacio, at just 19 years old and with an ATP ranking of 443 in the world, has achieved what no Peruvian tennis player had achieved in decades. Where many did not see faith in him, he pulled out all the stops and managed to give him a point that restored hope to the country. With this victory, “Nachito” joins the list of national promises and makes us even more excited about seeing Peru up close in the near future in a final round of the Davis Cup.

For their part, the duo made up of the brothers Pine Orchards He demonstrated, once again, why they work so well as a couple in doubles. The resounding victory against Alejandro Tabilo and Tomás Barrios once again positions them as a powerful team against any opponent.

The lessons after Chile…

We had already mentioned it before: Chile was not an easy rival. We knew they would be tough games and we had to fight until the end. But that’s sport!

Nicolás Jarry’s early defeat at the recently concluded Australian Open was definitely a surprise to everyone. Many speculations arose around his physical condition and how he would perform for the Davis Cup. Despite not having shown 100% of himself in this tournament, he demonstrated once again why he is in the top 20 in the world.

Locality was an important factor that worked in favor of our southern neighbors. The sudden change in surface, from clay to hard court, was also an advantage for them. But, without a doubt, having three players within the top 100 and one breathing down your neck – to date Nicolás Jarry (20), Alejandro Tabilo (54), Christian Garín (89) and Tomás Barrios (107)–, was the fundamental component of our opponent. Not only is it a confidence boost for the opponent, but it also weighs the experience of having played more important tournaments with recent victories – like Tabilo with his recent trophy at the ATP 250 in Auckland at the beginning of January –, with stronger rivals and handling pressure better.

The biggest lesson? Never give ourselves up for dead.

We have to work more on changes in surface and climate, on strengthening our players physically and emotionally and, above all, on continuing to play to win point by point. Thank you for leaving your heart on the track, guys!, it is read on all the networks, in all the forums. Here we say the same.

What’s next for our selection?

Once the tournament between countries is over, our tennis players prepare for the next thing in their careers. Our first national racket, Juan Pablo Varillas, is already thinking about Argentine lands, where he will play the ATP 250 in Córdoba – where he will debut against the German Yannick Hanfmann (°59 ATP) and the ATP 250 in Buenos Aires. Later, continuing with the South American tour, he will make his appearance at the ATP 500 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

As for the rest of the team, Gonzalo Bueno – who is still celebrating his recent victory in the Challenger in the Argentine capital – is getting ready for the M25 I and II in Punta del Este, Uruguay, where the Huertas del Pino brothers will also make an appearance. , trying to stay with a position in the ‘main draw’. On the side of Ignacio Buse, he will seek to qualify for the M25 team in Vila Real, Portugal.