A LOOK BACK Aegon Surbiton Trophy (Surbiton, U.K.): Sixth seed Yuichi Sugita of Japan came out on top in a tight 7-6(7), 7-6(8) final over seventh seed Jordan Thompson of Australia. Sugita saved two set points in the second-set tie-break at 6/7 and 7/8. He didn’t drop a set throughout the tournament, surviving a waterlogged week in London. The 28 year old picks up his ninth ATP Challenger Tour title and his first on grass. Three of those titles have come this year, including victories in Yokohama and Shenzhen. Sugita joins Janko Tipsarevic, Aljaz Bedene and Thomas Fabbiano as the only players with at least three Challenger titles in 2017. UniCredit Czech Open (Prostejov, Czech Republic): Second seed Jiri Vesely...
A LOOK BACK Internazionali Di Tennis Citta Di Vicenza (Vicenza, Italy): Marton Fucsovics of Hungary fought off two championship points to take the title over seventh seed Laslo Djere of Serbia 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2. Djere held a match point while serving at 6-5 in the second set and another at 7/6 in the tie-break, but Fucsovics fought back to prevail in two hours and 21 minutes. The 25-year-old Hungarian is the second player to save match points in an ATP Challenger Tour final this year, joining Yuichi Sugita, who saved two in Yokohama. He also showed his mental toughness throughout the week by rallying from a set down in three matches. This is the third Challenger title for Fucsovics and...
LOOK BACK Busan Open (Busan, South Korea): Vasek Pospisil lifted a first ATP Challenger Tour trophy since Vancouver 2013, having swept aside the field in Busan without dropping a set. The 26 year old capped a fine week with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Go Soeda, needing just 55 minutes to land a fifth Challenger title. The former World No. 25 returns to the Top 100 in the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time since July 2016, rising 24 places to No. 82. BNP Paribas Primrose (Bordeaux, France): Top seed Steve Darcis clinched his 10th Challenger title in the 10th edition of the prestigious clay-court event. On the grounds of the renowned Villa Primrose, Darcis battled past defending champion...
LOOK BACK Open du Pays D’Aix (Aix en Provence, France): Frances Tiafoe is flourishing on the clay this campaign. The #NextGenATP American secured back-to-back ATP Challenger Tour titles on the green clay (Sarasota) and the red clay (Aix en Provence) for his fourth trophy at this level. Victories over fellow #NextGenATP prospects Quentin Halys and Reilly Opelka earned the 19 year old a spot in the final. A battling 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5) win over third seed Jeremy Chardy chalked up Tiafoe’s first Top 100 win on red clay, earning a career-high No. 65 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The French Challenger title sends Tiafoe to third in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals...
LOOK BACK St. Joseph's/ Candler Savannah Challenger (Georgia, U.S.A): Tennys Sandgren capped a memorable week with his third ATP Challenger Tour title. The American ousted second seed Henri Laaksonen and countryman Tommy Paul in third set tie-breaks en route to the final. On Sunday he defeated Joao Pedro Sorgi, a Challenger final debutant, with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 performance. Sandgren, who also won the Tempe, U.S.A, Challenger in February, rises up 20 positions to a career-high No. 114 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The 25 year old has enjoyed a stellar four weeks on the clay, including a run to the final at the $100,000 Challenger event in Sarasota (l. Tiafoe). As a reward, Sandgren clinched the USTA's Roland Garros...