A LOOK BACK
Loughborough Trophy (Loughborough, UK): There were plenty of intriguing storylines at the inaugural ATP Challenger Tour event in Loughborough. The home faithful were on their feet throughout the week, as local favourite James Ward advanced to his first final since 2015 in his comeback from knee surgery. Meanwhile, Japanese 20-year-old Yosuke Watanuki stunned top seed Lukas Lacko in the first round, en route to the semi-finals, while fellow #NextGenATP Jurij Rodionov, a qualifier from Austria, also made a splash in reaching the quarters.
In the end, it was Japan's Hiroki Moriya who emerged with the title without dropping a set, streaking past Ward 6-2, 7-5 on Sunday. The Tecnifibre player scored his third Challenger trophy, surging 77 spots in the ATP Rankings to No. 221. Moreover, Moriya is the fourth Japanese player to win on the circuit this year, joining Kei Nishikori, Yoshihito Nishioka and Yasutaka Uchiyama.
XVI Venice Challenger Save Cup (Mestre, Italy): Gianluigi Quinzi is rounding into top form on the Italian clay, notching his second ATP Challenger Tour title in five weeks. The 22-year-old lifted the trophy in Mestre after taking his maiden title last month in Francavilla al Mare. He defeated countryman Gian Marco Moroni 6-2, 6-2 on Sunday. Quinzi, who broke onto the scene at last year's Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, is up to a career-high No. 204 in the ATP Rankings.
His final opponent, Moroni, could be well on his way to earning this year's wild card into the 21 & under season finale after appearing in his first Challenger final. The 20-year-old did not drop a set en route to the championship match in Mestre and is now the youngest Italian in the Top 300 of the ATP Rankings. He is up 63 spots to a career-high No. 295.
Gianluigi Quinzi lifts his second in five weeks after clinching the title in Mestre.
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 27, 2018
Moving 🆙⬆️ to a career-high No. 204 in the ATP Rankings pic.twitter.com/cAVvfytB0M
A LOOK AHEAD
There is one tournament on the calendar this week, as the ATP Challenger Tour shifts to the clay of Vicenza, Italy. Lorenzo Sonego is the top seed and could face Quinzi in the second round. Moroni is also in the field, as is Miomir Kecmanovic and Akira Santillan.
