Sara Errani dedicates her Barcelona Open win to Piermario Morosini – Tennis News
Italian, Sara Errani, has dedicated her victory at the Barcelona Open to Italy’s footballer, Piermario Morosini, who died during a match on Saturday.
Errani, who was seeded seventh at the event, upset third seed, Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia to capture the title.
An emotional Italian said, during the prize distribution ceremony, "This tournament is for Piermario Morosini."
Morosini, who used to play for Liverno in the second division of the Italian domestic league, collapsed on the football field during his team’s match against Pescara.
He was given on-field medical treatment and then rushed to the hospital in an ambulance but was pronounced dead by the doctors after about one and a half hour of the initial incident. The soccer player was just 25-year-old.
The match was called off as soon as the ambulance carrying the Italian player left the field. The Italian football federation postponed all the football matches to be held on weekend in the country. Italian Olympic Committee asked
other federations to observe silence of one minute in the memory of the deceased before every match on Sunday.
Italy’s sports minister is thinking to start frequent medical screening of its players. In a somewhat similar incident, an Italian volleyball player, Vigor Bovolenta, died due to heart attack during a match last month.
The minister said, in a statement given to the media, "It is always difficult to accept the death of a young man of only 25, especially during a context of enjoyment and sport.”
It is suspected that Morosini died due to heart failure, as doctors say that it stopped beating when he was on the ground. However, an official post mortem will be carried out on Monday to know the exact reason of death.
The tragic incident left everyone in tears, as hundreds of Liverno fans came to the stadium to pay tribute to the footballer. They displayed a banner, which said, "You fought right up until the end, goodbye great Moro," leavings
team scarves and flowers under that.
Errani added, "It has been very hard. The images have impacted me a lot. It's amazing that these things can happen. It really makes you think. It brings you back to reality and makes you realise many of the things we complain about
in life are just pure nonsense. You have to enjoy every minute of life."
The right-hander won dual crown, as she partnered compatriot, Roberta Vinci, to thrash fellow Italians, Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone, in straight sets 6-0, 6-2, claiming the doubles title as well.
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