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Basavareddy banks first Challenger title, Comesana triumphs on 24th birthday

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Nishesh Basavareddy will not soon forget Sunday at the ATP Challenger Tour 75 event in Tiburon, California, where the 19-year-old claimed his maiden trophy at that level in his home state.

#NextGenATP Basavareddy is the second American teen to triumph on the ATP Challenger Tour this season, alongside fellow California native Learner Tien, who won in Bloomfield Hills and Las Vegas.

Basavareddy, who fell to Tien in the Bloomfield Hills final, lost in his three previous title match appearances on the Challenger Tour, but he had no trouble in Tiburon. He raced past Eliot Spizzirri 6-1, 6-1 in just 61 minutes. The World No. 193 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings was aggressive on return, dropping just four second-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

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“I think that is definitely a big asset in my game and probably one of the biggest strengths in my game,” Basavareddy told commentator Mike Cation. “I think that can go a long way because a lot of these guys serve big and if you can neutralise the serves and almost get ahead in the point, I feel like I’m just as good as all these guys from the baseline.

“Especially second-serve points, my coach always says, ‘Second-serve return points and second-serve points won kind of decide who is winning matches all the time because everyone can defend their first serve really well and win points there’. If you can defend your second serve and attack other guys’ second serve, you can win a lot of matches. I think that’s been a big focus for me.”

This season marks the first time that multiple American teenagers have lifted a Challenger trophy in the same year since 2017, when Frances Tiafoe, Michael Mmoh and Stefan Kozlov achieved the feat. It is just the fifth time in the past 30 years.

Basavareddy, who finished No. 12 in the ITA singles rankings this past May competing for Stanford University, is the 20th different Challenger champion of 2024 with college tennis experience.

Up five places to tenth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, Basavareddy is aiming for maiden qualification to the 20-and-under Next Gen ATP Finals, which runs from 18-22 December. Basavareddy is the third American in the Top 10, alongside second-placed Alex Michelsen and seventh-placed Tien.

Buenos Aires
In other Challenger action, Francisco Comesana celebrated his 24th birthday in style, saving two championship points to triumph at the Challenger de Buenos Aires. An-all Argentine final featured the top two seeds, Federico Coria and Comesana, respectively. Comesana trailed 4/6 in the second-set tie-break before rallying to a 1-6, 7-6(7), 6-4 victory.

<img alt=”Francisco Comesana delights home fans in Sunday’s all-Argentine final.” style=”width:100%” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/07/14/52/comesana-buenosairesch-2024.jpg” />
Birthday boy Francisco Comesana delights home fans in Sunday’s all-Argentine final. Credit: Challenger de Buenos Aires

“Since I knew that the final was going to be on my birthday, I was looking forward to it, because I had never experienced anything like this before,” the six-time Challenger champion said in Spanish. “All the matches of the tournament were difficult and luckily, I was able to give myself this gift after a lot of suffering.”

Mouilleron le Captif
Frenchman Lucas Pouille continued his resurgent year by winning the Open de Vendee on home soil. The 30-year-old, who is No. 101 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is aiming to return to the Top 100 for the first time since June 2021. Pouille raced past top seed Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-4 in the final to lift his second Challenger title this season. The former World No. 10 has competed in four finals at that level in 2024.

<img alt=”Lucas Pouille celebrates winning his third Challenger title.” style=”width:100%” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/07/15/03/pouille-mouilleronlecaptifch-2024.jpg” />
Lucas Pouille celebrates winning his third Challenger title. Credit: Un Oeil Averty

Braga
Elmer Moller secured his first Challenger title at the Braga Open in Portugal, where he advanced through qualifying en route to his biggest career trophy. The 21-year-old Dane beat Daniel Elahi Galan 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final. Moller, No. 171 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, did not drop a set all week.

<img alt=”Elmer Moller in action at the Braga Open.” style=”width:100%” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/07/14/58/moller-bragach-2024.jpg” />
Elmer Moller in action at the Braga Open. Credit: Eduardo Oliveira/movesoundclick

“I didn’t come with high expectations, but to give my best and it turned out to be an incredible week,” Moller said. “I’m very happy.”

Villena
Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak won his third trophy of the year and seventh overall at the Villena Open. The 28-year-old downed American Nicolas Moreno De Alboran 6-4, 6-2 in the title match. Majchrzak also won Kigali-1 and Bratislava-1 this year. Following his Villena title run, Majchrzak is up 33 places to No. 113 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

<img alt=”Kamil Majchrzak triumphs at the Villena Challenger.” style=”width:100%” src=”/-/media/images/news/2024/10/07/15/09/majchrzak-villenach-2024.jpg” />
Kamil Majchrzak triumphs at the Villena Challenger. Credit: Villena Open

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Rune rebuffs Berrettini’s barrage for third-round spot in Shanghai

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2024

A long wait for his opening match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters proved to be worth it for Holger Rune.

The Dane delivered a resilient performance to down Matteo Berrettini 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a high-quality encounter on Monday at the ATP Masters 1000. After Rune received a bye in the opening round, his second-round clash with Berrettini was originally scheduled for Saturday. Although persistent rain ultimately kept the players waiting two days longer, they did not disappoint when they finally stepped onto Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

Rune withstood 16 aces from Berrettini, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a comeback victory featuring plenty of cat-and-mouse exchanges. The 12th seed stayed patient on return to notch late breaks of serve in both the second and third sets and claim his maiden Shanghai win at the second attempt.

“I think [the match] was pretty good,” said Rune, who now leads Berrettini 3-1 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. “It felt like he didn’t do many things wrong in the first set. I made a few errors, but then he was just on me. He didn’t allow me to make many mistakes. I think the same happened in the second and third sets, just the other way around. Every time he got slightly central or short, I was there to punish his shots.

“It was a good match, honestly. I think the tennis was very high quality. We were hitting a lot of winners, good serves, good movement, so I’m very happy to start my tournament like this.”

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Now 13-7 at Masters 1000 events in 2024, Rune will meet 33rd seed Jiri Lehecka for a spot in the fourth round in Shanghai. The 21-year-old seeks a deep run this week to help kick-start a late charge towards Nitto ATP Finals qualification: Rune is up one spot to 15th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after defeating Berrettini, and he could rise as high as eighth by lifting the title in China.

“I think I’ve been consistent in many tournaments, but haven’t really gone all the way,” said Rune, whose best result this year was a final run in Brisbane. “It’s just a process. Keep working, keep trying to do the right things. From my side there was a big change from the first set to the last two sets. I was hitting the ball better. I was moving more up to the ball, playing more on my terms, aggressively coming forward.

“I’m happy with the way I started this tournament. I think that’s the way for me to play and I’m going to keep going like this.”

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Tie-break Taylor! Fritz squeezes past Atmane in Shanghai

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2024

It may have taken 48 hours, but Taylor Fritz ensured his big plans for the final stretch of the 2024 season remain on course with a hard-earned opening victory Monday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The American kept his cool in the face of a free-spirited performance from Terence Atmane to secure a 7-6(4), 7-6(5) triumph at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000. After rain forced the second-round clash to be suspended with Fritz leading 4-3 on serve on Saturday afternoon, the seventh seed on Monday completed a two-hour, three-minute victory under the roof inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

The US Open finalist Fritz remains fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is in a strong position to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, where he made his debut in 2022. Yet the American was determined to take things one step at a time after passing a tough test from Atmane in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.

“I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think I’m in a good position,” said Fritz. “I’m not thinking so much about the goal of reaching the finals right now, because I’m fifth in the race. If the goal is that and I get panicky, it would be like, ‘Let’s just not slip four spots’. My goal right now is to finish the year in the Top 5, keep my place. I think that’s just a better mindset to have, both to qualify for the finals and play good tennis for the rest of the year.”

Against Atmane, Fritz crucially saved the only two break points of the opening set from 15/40 in the ninth game, and after clinching the first-set tie-break he established a 4-2 lead in the second set. Yet the Frenchman continued to push Fritz, and he was only defeated once the American again found something extra late on to clinch the second set in a tie-break.

“I think his ability to basically hit a winner from anywhere on the court made it very tough,” said Fritz. “Because sometimes I almost felt like if I wanted to be the aggressor in the rally, I had to go on when I maybe didn’t want to go on. Then sometimes I had to take just a more defensive, solid approach to the points, let him pull the trigger and if he makes it, he makes it.

“That uncertainty of what if he does make it is always uncomfortable. He was playing really well, serving well on big points, so it’s great to get through that in two sets.”

Fritz’s next assignment in Shanghai will be a third-round clash on Tuesday against Yosuke Watanuki. The 26-year-old Fritz is now 5-0 in opening rounds at the Chinese Masters 1000, but is yet to reach the fourth round across his five appearances.

[ATP APP]

Another Top 10 star and Turin hopeful, Grigor Dimitrov, also completed victory Monday in a rain-affected second-round clash. The Bulgarian led Zizou Bergs 6-3, 2-4 when their meeting was suspended on Saturday, and upon resumption he battled to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 triumph.

Dimitrov converted five of seven break points he earned against Bergs, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion is 10th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as he chases a spot at the prestigious season finale, and he will hope to build on his good start in Shanghai when he takes on Alexei Popyrin in the third round.

Another member of the chasing pack in the Live Race, the 14th-placed Frances Tiafoe, made a solid start to his Shanghai campaign. The 13th seed prevailed 6-2, 6-4 against #NextGenATP home favourite Zhou Yi. It was a first win in Shanghai since 2017 for Tiafoe, who will next play Roman Safiullin. The World No. 61 Safiullin upset 23rd seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2 in a match moved to an indoor court because of the rain.

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Rain affects Monday's Shanghai schedule, Fritz & Dimitrov win under roof

  • Posted: Oct 07, 2024

Play has been affected by rain for the third consecutive day at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The Monday schedule at the ATP Masters 1000 event has been reduced to 13 singles matches, with no play yet possible on outdoor courts. However, three matches have been completed inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, which is fitted with a retractable roof.

[ATP APP]

Taylor Fritz kicked off the day by completing a 7-6(4), 7-6(5) second-round victory, one which began on Saturday before a two-day rain delay, against Terence Atmane. The No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings was followed onto court by his fellow Top 10 star Grigor Dimitrov, who overcame Zizou Bergs 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Frances Tiafoe then defeated home wild card Yi Zhou 6-2, 6-4 to round out the afternoon session on the Stadium Court. The two Lexus ATP Head2Head matchups scheduled for Monday’s night session are 12th seed Holger Rune’s clash with Matteo Berrettini, and Flavio Cobolli against Stan Wawrinka.

After two days of inclement weather, tournament organisers moved four matches to indoor courts to help relieve pressure on the schedule. Roman Safiullin resumed his second-round meeting with Alexander Bublik at 2-1 in the first set, and he went on to down the 23rd seed 6-4, 6-2. Tallon Griekspoor was also a winner indoors: The Dutchman eased past 26th seed Jordan Thompson 6-3, 6-2.

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