A LOOK BACK Play In Challenger Lille (Lille, France): Eight wins in nine days. It was a stunning run for France's Gregoire Barrere in Lille, battling to his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title as a qualifier. Barrere prevailed on home soil with a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory over Tobias Kamke on Sunday. After cruising through qualifying with the loss of one set, the 24-year-old Tecnifibre player was made to work in the main draw, including a four-match point saving performance against countryman Stephane Robert in the second round. He overcame a 2/6 deficit in the deciding tie-break, reeling off six straight points to advance. Subsequent wins over Guillermo Olaso and an in-form Yannick Maden would put him in the final,...
Daniil Medvedev, who qualified for the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan last year, did not get off to the best start in 2018. The Russian began his season at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Playford, Australia, where he lost in the first round against World No. 379 Marinko Matosevic. “It was very disappointing to start the year like this, because I went to the Challenger event to get some matches,” Medvedev told ATPWorldTour.com. “We knew it happens in tennis. The guy played a very good match. There will always be losses. So I just knew I had to be ready for the next one.” The 21-year-old was more than ready, as he cruised through qualifying before winning...