A LOOK BACK Uruguay Open (Montevideo, Uruguay): They were dancing in the streets of Montevideo, as home hope and top seed Pablo Cuevas streaked to the title. It was a celebration of tennis all week at the Uruguay Open, which featured a visit from football legend Diego Forlan. Raucous crowds packed the tournament from start to finish. On Sunday, Cuevas lifted his third tournament trophy with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Gastao Elias, adding to triumphs in 2009 and 2014. The win had added significance for the Uruguayan, who moved to No. 32 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, putting him in position to be seeded at the Australian Open. Cuevas, who fired arguably the shot of the year on the...
A LOOK BACK Apis Canberra International (Canberra, Australia): The Australian summer of tennis kicked off last week with Jason Kubler hoisting his first ATP Challenger Tour trophy in three years. Another Aussie would end a title drought on Sunday, as Matthew Ebden claimed his first Challenger crown since 2015 with a 7-6(4) 6-4 victory over second seed Taro Daniel. Ebden, who reached the final at the ATP World Tour event in Newport in July, is back in the Top 100 for the first time since 2014 after undergoing knee surgery. On the comeback trail, the 29-year-old ascends to No. 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with his seventh Challenger title in total. Charlottesville Men's Pro Challenger (Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S.A.): Tim...
A LOOK BACK China International Suzhou (Suzhou, China): It has been a banner year for junior stars making the transition to the ATP Challenger Tour. In June, Felix Auger-Aliassime won his first title in Lyon, France. In July, it was Nicola Kuhn's turn in Braunschweig, Germany and in September, Wu Yibing lifted the trophy in Shanghai. On Sunday, former junior No. 1 Miomir Kecmanovic earned his maiden title in Suzhou, China, defeating Radu Albot 6-4, 6-4. One week after falling in the first round in Ningbo, the Serbian did not drop a set in streaking to the title in Suzhou, upsetting four seeded opponents along the way. He is the youngest from his country to win on the circuit since...
A LOOK BACK Las Vegas Tennis Open (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA): #NextGenATP star Stefan Kozlov returned to the winners' circle on Sunday, storming back from a set down to claim his second ATP Challenger Tour title. The American teen overcame Liam Broady 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 19 minutes for his first crown since lifting his maiden trophy in Columbus nearly one year ago. Kozlov failed to convert on two match points at 5-3 in the decider, but held his nerve and closed out the win on his third at 5-4. The 19-year-old's win is the 13th for teenagers this year and 10th among Americans. "We both just put it on the line today and it was 50-50,"...
A LOOK BACK Copa San Cristobal presentada por FILA (Buenos Aires, Argentina): Third seed Nicolas Kicker celebrated his first ATP Challenger Tour title on home soil in dramatic fashion, saving two match points for the Buenos Aires crown on Sunday. The 25 year old defeated countryman Horacio Zeballos 6-7(5), 6-0, 7-5, rallying for the victory after two hours and 35 minutes. He denied one championship point at 5-3 in the decider, firing a forehand winner, and turned aside another when Zeballos served for the title a game later. It was his third Challenger title in total, adding to victories in Perugia, Italy and Guayaquil, Ecuador last year. Kicker, who reached a pair of ATP World Tour 500 level quarter-finals this...
