Akira Santillan capped a dominant display on the hard courts of Winnetka, U.S.A., claiming his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title on Saturday. The 20-year-old, who recently changed national allegiances from Japan to Australia, dropped one set all week to streak to the title. Santillan defeated fifth seed Ramkumar Ramanathan 7-6(1), 6-2 in the final, becoming the ninth winner from the #NextGenATP contingent this year. He moves up 26 spots to a career-high No. 171 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and is up 12 places in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan, to No. 17. The winning moment as #NextGenATP @AkiSantillan claimed his maiden #ATPChallenger title 76(1) 62 over #Ramanathan in Winnetka @NielsenPro. pic.twitter.com/xodXCi0vLW — ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) July 16,...
Nicola Kuhn made his mark on the professional circuit on Saturday, lifting his first ATP Challenger Tour title at the prestigious Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig, Germany. At just 17 years and 3 months, Kuhn became the second-youngest winner this year and the 14th-youngest in Challenger history. Moreover, he is the seventh qualifier to lift a trophy in 2017, having reeled off seven wins in eight days to emphatically claim his maiden crown. Kuhn has made the leap to the Challenger level look easy, with Braunschweig marking just his second main draw appearance at the level. He soars 259 spots to No. 242 in the Emirates ATP Rankings with the title. His immediate success at the professional level should come at...
Watch interview and the point of the tournament as budding NextGenATP star Nicola Kuhn, aged 17, claimed his maiden Challenger title in Braunschweig, Germany.
Serbian Dusan Lajovic looks back on his strong week at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Bastad, where he lifted his fifth career trophy. Video courtesy of Torbjorn Dencker.
On Saturday, the Sparkassen Open in Braunschweig crowned the 24th champion in its illustrious history, as 17-year-old qualifier Nicola Kuhn lifted his first ATP Challenger Tour trophy. The prestigious event has been the standard on the circuit for years and recently celebrated a third straight Tournament of the Year award. The honour is representative of the clay-court event’s steadfast commitment to growing the game in a world-class environment. Under the watchful eye of tournament director Volker Jäcke, the tournament has greatly evolved and is considered a top destination for players and fans. The Sparkassen Open founded the concept of ‘Tennistainment’, which refers to the notion that premier tennis and off-court entertainment create a first-rate experience with a festive atmosphere. It...
