Two of the four Challenger tournaments were won, as winners were produced in both Brescia and Champaign. The finals of Montevideo and Yokohama will be decided on Sunday.
Montevideo: The first semi-final produced a shock as the fourth seed Inigo Cervantes took out second seed Diego Schartzmann in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Schwartzmann is ranked more than thirty places higher than Cervantes, but the Spaniard has pedigree on the clay Challenger circuit, and will move into the Top 100 for the first time as result of his performances this week. The second semi-final will see home favourite Pablo Cuevas face another clay specialist in Guido Pella. Cuevas should win through.
Brescia: Two surprise finalists perhaps, but Igor Sijsling is signalling a return to the form that once brought him a top 60 ranking. The Dutchman beat Bosnian Mirza Basic 6-4, 6-4, and will move close to joining the elite rankings of tennis once more. Basic may move to, or eclipse his former highest ranking. He was ranked 147 before this week’s play, and his previous highest ranking was 134.
Champaign: There was a new Challenger title this week as well. But for once he wasn’t American. Henri Laaksonen, a young Swiss trying to prove the next generation after Federer and Wawrinka has hope, defeated the young American who has been receiving all the plaudits 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Laaksonen’s timely win means that he will likely earn direct entry to the Australian Open Qualifying Draw. Fritz will move into the top 200 for the first time, joining Frances Tiafoe and Jared Donaldson as teenage Americans with that accolade.
Yokohama: It was a day for lower seeds to defeat higher seeds, as the fifth seed knocked out the third seed, and the fourth took down the second. Taro Daniel got the ball rolling, defeating Tatsumo Ito 6-4, 6-1. Go Soeda ensured an all home nation final as he won through against Matthew Ebden 7-6, 6-4.
Final Preview: Taro Daniel is a young Japanese star, whilst Soeda has experience and form, I’m backing Daniel. Daniel in three sets.
