Paolo Maldini qualifies for pro tennis tournament
Legendary Italy and AC
Milan footballer Paolo Maldini has qualified for a professional tennis
tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The 48-year-old, capped
126 times by his country, won a qualifier in Italy with doubles partner Stefano
Landonio.
Landonio, 46, was once
ranked 975 in the world and has coached Maldini since he retired in 2009.
The pair will compete at
the Aspria Tennis Cup, a Challenger Tour event in Milan which begins on 29
June.
The Challenger Tour is
the tier below the top-level ATP World Tour, which features the best players in
the world.
Maldini spent 31 years
with AC Milan, 24 of them as a professional, winning seven league titles and
the Champions League five times.
He will be 49 on the day the Aspria Tennis Cup begins, with 16
doubles pairings competing on clay.
FROM BBC
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