A LOOK BACK Hyogo Noah Challenger (Kobe, Japan): Fifth seed and #NextGen star Hyeon Chung continued his successful comeback from injury by defeating seventh seed James Duckworth of Australia in the championship match, 6-4, 7-6(4). This is Chung’s second Challenger title of the year after prevailing in September in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Since returning in September after four months out with an abdominal injury, he has posted a 20-3 record on the ATP Challenger Tour. Duckworth was riding a nine-match win streak after capturing his second Challenger title of 2016 just one week earlier in Canberra, Australia. Knoxville Challenger (Knoxville, Tennessee): American teenager Michael Mmoh broke through on home soil with his first Challenger title by defeating Peter Polansky, 7-5, 2-6,...
ATP World Tour Uncovered presented by Peugeot features NextGen Yoshihito Nishioka, who opens up about his career goals and how his friend and countryman Kei Nishikori has helped him. Getty Images photo.
Challenger success can often serve as a defining moment for a player’s career. Just ask American #NextGen star Ernesto Escobedo. After hard-court results in the first half of 2016 that didn’t meet his high standards, the 20-year-old Californian broke through with his first ATP Challenger Tour title this July in Lexington, Kentucky. The win gave him the USTA Pro Circuit wild card into the US Open and he took advantage by winning his opening round match in New York City, then rode that momentum to his third Challenger final of the season this past month in Cary, North Carolina. Having started the year at No. 393 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Escobedo now sits at a career-high ranking of No....