A LOOK BACK Internazionali d'Abruzzo (Francavilla al Mare, Italy): Welcome to the winners' circle, Gianluigi Quinzi! Five years after ascending to junior No. 1, the Italian celebrated a breakthrough at the pro level, claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday. Quinzi defeated Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-1 in just 71 minutes on home soil in Francavilla al Mare to lift the trophy. The win comes six months after Quinzi earned a coveted spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, having won a qualifying competition for the eighth and final berth. The 22-year-old has carried the momentum into 2018, also notching a pair of Futures titles early in the year. He will jump 82 spots to No. 265...
A LOOK BACK Ganjiang New Area International Challenger (Nanchang, China): How good was Quentin Halys in Nanchang? The third-seeded Frenchman averaged less than six games lost per match, eventually blasting to the title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over countryman Calvin Hemery on Sunday. At the age of 21, Halys is one of France's brightest young stars, along with Hemery and 19-year-old Corentin Moutet. Up to No. 110 in the ATP Rankings, his victory on the clay of Nanchang was his second Challenger crown this year. Also the champion on the indoor hard courts of Quimper, Halys now owns an impressive 13-4 record on the circuit in 2018. Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open (Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A.): What a moment for Hugo...
A LOOK BACK Santaizi Challenger (Taipei City, Taiwan): If there was any doubt that Yuki Bhambri is fully fit and ready to charge up the ATP Rankings, the 25-year-old made an emphatic statement this week in Taipei. The fourth-seeded Indian blasted to the title at the $150,000 ATP Challenger Tour event, defeating countryman Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday. Bhambri celebrated a return to the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time in two years, marching to a career-high No. 83. Having fallen outside the Top 500 following an elbow injury, he is back with a vengeance, claiming his second Challenger crown in five months. He has also qualified for the Australian Open and ATP World Tour...
A LOOK BACK Open Harmonie Mutuelle (St. Brieuc, France): For more than a year, former World No. 50 Ricardas Berankis had plotted his return to the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings. After undergoing hip surgery in late 2016, the Lithuanian had fallen as low as No. 243. Seventeen months later, Berankis is back, soaring to No. 84 after clinching the title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in St. Brieuc. He overcame home hope Constant Lestienne 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in a tense final. Seeded second, he had not dropped a set entering Sunday's championship. The 27-year-old claimed his ninth Challenger crown in total, marking the fifth straight year in which he has lifted a trophy. San Luis Open (San...
A LOOK BACK Play In Challenger Lille (Lille, France): Eight wins in nine days. It was a stunning run for France's Gregoire Barrere in Lille, battling to his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title as a qualifier. Barrere prevailed on home soil with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Tobias Kamke on Sunday. After cruising through qualifying with the loss of one set, the 24-year-old Tecnifibre player was made to work in the main draw, including a four-match point saving performance against countryman Stephane Robert in the second round. He overcame a 2/6 deficit in the deciding tie-break, reeling off six straight points to advance. Subsequent wins over Guillermo Olaso and an in-form Yannick Maden would put him in the final,...
