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...
You would be hard-pressed to find a more thrilling final on the ATP Challenger Tour in 2018. It was a highly-anticipated championship clash and it certainly did not disappoint, as 22-year-old Noah Rubin edged 20-year-old Marc Polmans 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 at the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger on Saturday. Rubin needed six match points to secure his fourth Challenger title - and first on clay - after two hours and eight minutes. With Polmans serving to stay in the match at 5-4 in the decider, he refused to abandon his aggressive gameplan. The #NextGenATP Aussie escaped from a 0/40 deficit and survived two more championship points later in the game. On two occasions, a Rubin forehand missed clipping the tramline by mere...
The road to success is never easy, but Juan Ignacio Londero’s route to his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Mexico City was a test of both his mental and physical strengths. Londero, who reached a career-high No. 186 in the ATP Rankings in September 2014, has struggled in recent years with a series of health issues and saw his position drop outside the Top 400 less than a year ago. His road to becoming a Challenger champion was littered with obstacles. “It's been a process and a difficult one at that,” reflected Londero. “In 2015, I had something similar to the mumps and… I spent a month in bed with a fever, vomiting. After that, I had a herniated...
