The first Challenger winner of 2017 has been determined, and it is a familiar name in Noumea. In Happy Valley, two first-time finalists are set up for an intriguing encounter.
Noumea:
(1) Adrian Mannarino defeats Nikola Milojevic 63 75. Top seed and defending champion Adrian Mannarino got his 2017 campaign off to a great start by winning the Noumea title. The Frenchman did not drop a set in dispatching all competitors, and defends the one hundred points he earned at the tournament last season.
Nikola Milojevic is the break out star of the tournament. Despite losing the final to the top seed, the Serbian youngster almost single-handedly wiped out all the seeds in the bottom half of the draw, defeating the fourth, eighth, and second seeds to deservedly reach his first final.
Happy Valley:
Peter Gojowczyk defeats (3) Denis Kudla 64 62. The German upset the third seed here as Gojowczyk eased past the twenty-four year-old Kudla in convincing fashion. Kudla was under pressure throughout, facing thirteen break points. he saved ten, but could not break the Gojowczyk serve, only forcing one break point in the second set. Gojowczyk will be looking for his fifth Challenger title overall.
Omar Jasika defeats Joris De Loore 64 46 76. It has been a fairytale run for the young Aussie, and this was perhaps his toughest match of the week. Despite not being seeded, De Loore is in almost as good form as Jasika, haivng cruised into the semi-finals without dropping a set. This match was close, and it was only a deciding set tie break that was able to separate them.
Bangkok:
(5) Janko Tipsarevic defeats (1) Yuichi Sugita 61 76. The former Top ten player had too much for the top seed in Bangkok as Tipsarevic beat Sugita. Despite the one-sided opening set, this match lasted nearly two hours, as Sugita put up a strong showing in the second set. The men traded breaks, and Sugita had set point opportunities in the tie break, but it was ultimately Tipsarevic that emerged the victor, ten-eight.
Blaz Kavcic defeats (7)Maximillian Marterer) 46 76 62. Unseeded Slovenian Kavcic held his nerve through a close second set having lost the first. Saving five break points, he then struck in the tie break, winning seven-three, before breaking twice in the thirs having seemingly broken the spirit of the seventh seed. A timely run to the final for a player who has had lofty ambitions of Top 100 status.
