A thin veil of clouds covers the Milan sky, and a light breeze tries to make itself felt along the pathways of the Aspria Harbour Club. But it is merely an illusion: the scorching heat offers no respite today, and rising humidity bears down heavily on both players and spectators.
The second day of the main draw at the Aspria Tennis Cup 2026 – Trofeo BCS—featured a packed schedule of twelve matches, wrapping up the first round of this Milanese ATP Challenger event. Italian players took center stage and enjoyed plenty of success; seven Italians advanced to the second round, with two all-Italian clashes scheduled for the coming days guaranteeing that at least two more Italians will reach the quarterfinals.
Action at the Aspria Harbour Club on Via Cascina Bellaria got off to a strong start with an all-Italian duel between Dalla Valle and Travaglia, won by the former 7-6, 6-1. Francesco Passaro also secured a fine victory, showing great skill to rally from a 5-1 deficit in the second set and defeat Poland’s Machalski 6-4, 7-5; the two will now face each other in the second round.
The Italian success continued with Martin Manzano, who made the most of his wild card entry by beating Germany’s McDonald 7-5, 6-1. Brancaccio had an easier time than expected, benefiting from the retirement of the number 2 seed, Basilashvili (due to a right hip injury), while leading 6-1, 2-1. Wild card Pierluigi Basile pulled off a remarkable feat, demonstrating great physical and mental resilience in a battle lasting over two and a half hours to defeat the experienced Spaniard Roca Batalla 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.
The day concluded with two more all-Italian matches. Rapagnetta prevailed over Ribecai after a thrilling match that had the crowd on Court 13 applauding wildly; the qualifier won 7-6, 6-4, keeping his Milan dream alive. Defending champion Marco Cecchinato had to battle into a third set to overcome Romano 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, setting up a showdown with Brancaccio. It was a tense affair for Cecchinato, who—after securing match point—engaged in a lively moment by loudly calling for the crowd’s support: “I can’t hear you—where are you?” the former world top-20 player shouted.
Argentina also had reason to celebrate alongside Italy: both Comesana (the number 1 seed) and Diaz Acosta (a former tournament winner) advanced to the second round, securing victories over Donald and Tobon, respectively.
First-round match results – Tuesday, June 30
Dalla Valle (ITA) def. Travaglia (ITA): 7-6, 6-1
Erhard (FRA) def. Rodionov (AUT): 6-3, 6-2
Passaro (ITA) def. Machalski (POL): 6-4, 7-5
Martin Mazano (ITA) def. McDonald (GER): 7-5, 6-1
Comesana (ARG) def. Donald (CZE): 6-2, 6-1
Diaz Acosta (ARG) def. Tobon (COL): 6-2, 6-2
Brancaccio (ITA) def. Basilashvili (GEO): 6-1, 2-1 (ret.)
Jorda Sanchis (ESP) def. Prado Angelo (BOL): 7-6, 6-2
Rapagnetta (ITA) def. Ribecai (ITA): 7-6, 6-4
Cecchinato (ITA) def. Romano (ITA): 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
Moller (DEN) def. Gombos (SVK): 7-6, 6-1
Basile (ITA) def. Roca Batalla (ESP): 6-7, 6-3, 6-1
Second round begins tomorrow
The second round of the Aspria Tennis Cup 2026 – BCS Trophy begins on Wednesday, July 1. Singles matches will take center stage on the main court throughout the day, starting at 10:00 AM: the action opens with Heide vs. Barrena, followed by the all-Italian clash between Passaro and Dalla Valle, then Rincon vs. Erhard (not before 1:00 PM) and Comesana vs. Dedura (not before 4:00 PM). From 10:00 a.m. onwards, the doubles competition also gets underway, with eight first-round matches spread across Court 10 and Court 13.
Paid access only
Starting Wednesday, July 1st, admission to the club will be by ticket only. Fans can already book seats in the stands at the Aspria Harbour Club on Via Cascina Bellaria; tickets—including those for the new Hospitality Area—are available via the Ticketone network. Alternatively, a ticket office is open at the club itself.
