The pressure of playing at home can be difficult for some players, but it’s exactly where Rogerio Dutra Silva has thrived in his career. Despite not having many chances to play in Brazil throughout the year, the 32 year old has won three of his seven ATP Challenger Tour titles on home soil. Competing as the third seed at this week’s $50,000 Challenger in Santos, he defeated countryman Joao Pedro Sorgi in straight sets on Thursday to move into the quarter-finals “Normally I win, so I like it!” joked Dutra Silva about playing in Brazil. “But I really enjoy playing in my country. I’ve played on these courts all my life and I love the food, the fans and all...
Top junior star John McNally will soon spend the next four years competing for Ohio State University, but he’s making noise on that campus this week at the $50,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Columbus. The 17 year old received a wild card into the singles and doubles main draws, marking his first main draw appearances at an ATP Challenger Tour event. Although he lost in the first round of singles to fellow American Tommy Paul, he’s into the doubles quarter-finals with another American teenager in Jeffrey John Wolf, his regular doubles partner in ITF Junior events. “Playing my first Challenger main draw was really special, especially in Columbus, since I’m from not far away in Cincinnati. It was also...
There have been plenty of big upsets this year on the ATP Challenger Tour, but Tung-Lin Wu pulled off arguably the biggest one of 2016 at the $125,000 ATP Challenger Tour event in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The 18 year old from Chinese Taipei, a wild card currently ranked No. 1,748 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, shocked world No. 131 Denis Kudla in the opening round, 7-5, 7-6(8). With a difference of 1,617 spots, it’s the biggest upset of the year by ranking on the ATP Challenger Tour. Biggest Upsets In 2016 (difference of 1000+ spots in Emirates ATP Rankings) Upset Tournament Difference No. 1748 Tung-Lin Wu (TPE) d. No. 131 Denis Kudla Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1617 spots No. 1600 Mikhail Vaks (RUS)...
Two former Moselle Open champions, David Goffin and Gilles Simon, both advanced to the quarter-finals on Thursday. Second seed Goffin, who beat Joao Sousa for the 2014 title, lost just 10 of his service points in a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff in 67 minutes. The Barclays ATP World Tour Finals contender, who is currently placed No. 11 in the Emirates ATP Race To London, will next face eighth seed Nicolas Mahut. The 34-year-old Frenchman saved all three break points faced to beat Illya Marchenko 6-3, 6-4. Fourth seed Simon maintained his fine run of form at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament by beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and 40 minutes. Simon, now 6-0...
Watch highlights from Day Three at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Sibiu, Romania, where top seed Robin Haase and defending champion Adrian Ungur advanced. Video courtesy Sibiu Open.