A LOOK BACK Open d'Orleans (Orleans, France): Last year, Norbert Gombos finished runner-up to Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the Orleans final. On Sunday, the fourth seed went one step further, claiming the title at the prestigious $150,000 event with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over another Frenchman - Julien Benneteau. Gombos will rise to a career-high No. 80 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, having notched his fifth ATP Challenger Tour title and first in nearly one year. [ALSO LIKE] BFD Challenger (Rome, Italy): The 2017 season has become the year of the Serbian on the ATP Challenger Tour. Filip Krajinovic secured a tour-leading 10th title for the European nation with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Daniel Gimeno-Traver in Rome. Krajinovic, who...
A LOOK BACK TEB Izmir Cup (Izmir, Turkey): Illya Marchenko gave himself the perfect birthday gift, celebrating his first tournament as a 30 year old with the title in Izmir, Turkey. The Ukrainian defeated Stephane Robert 7-6(2), 6-0 in just 73 minutes on Sunday, lifting a trophy on the ATP Challenger Tour for the sixth time. Former World No. 49 Marchenko is looking to return to the Top 100 after falling on tough times in 2017. He is up 65 spots to No. 222 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with the title. Title title title!!! 🤘 #izmircup2017— Illya Marchenko (@imarchello) September 24, 2017 Sibiu Open (Sibiu, Romania): Cedrik-Marcel Stebe continued his stunning ascent in his comeback to the pro circuit,...
A LOOK BACK Pekao Szczecin Open (Szczecin, Poland): Frenchman Richard Gasquet capped a brief return to the ATP Challenger Tour with a triumph in the Szczecin final, defeating former World No. 18 Florian Mayer 7-6(3), 7-6(4). Gasquet had entered the event to pick up some valuable match play having struggled recently with injuries. It was his first appearance in Szczecin since 2004 and improved his record in Challenger finals to 9-1. This was Gasquet’s first Challenger title since Bordeaux 2010. The Frenchman had saved a match point to beat Guido Andreozzi in the quarter-finals on Friday and did not drop a set thereafter. The World No. 30 is the highest-ranked Challenger winner since then No. 20 Benoit Paire won in...
A breakthrough ATP Challenger Tour title and a long way round to dodge Hurricane Irma – it’s been a week unlike any Marcelo Arevalo will experience again. The 26 year old became the first player from El Salvador to notch a Challenger title with his 7-5, 6-4 victory over local Daniel Elahi Galan in the Milo Open final in Bogota, Colombia on Sunday. He had taken down fourth seed Nicolas Jarry, fifth seed Gerald Melzer and top seed Victor Estrella Burgos en route to the decider. The triumph prompted tears of elation and hopes of inspiring children back home to pick up a racquet. “It feels really good. I'm really happy,” Marcelo said. “I've been chasing this for a few...
The Canadian conquest of the Emirates ATP Rankings has begun. Four weeks ago, the nation staked claim to the youngest player in the Top 100, as 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov continued his stunning ascent. On Monday, it will also have the youngest player in the Top 200. Felix Auger-Aliassime continues to make history as he soars up the Emirates ATP Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 168 with his second ATP Challenger Tour title. The teen stormed back from a set and a break down to defeat Inigo Cervantes in Sevilla, Spain, on Saturday. With the victory, at 17 years and one month, he becomes the youngest to break into the Top 200 since Rafael Nadal in 2002. "It's quite special,"...
