ATP Challenger Tour Season Commences On Three Continents

The 2016 ATP Challenger Tour gets underway on Monday with four tournaments on three continents.

In the French territory of New Caledonia, the Challenger BNP Paribas Noumea returns for a 13th edition. Top seed and 2013 champion Adrian Mannarino is joined by second seed and 2014 titlist Alejandro Falla. Fourth seed Adrian Menendez-Maceiras finished runner-up to Steve Darcis last year. View Draw

Meanwhile, the Australian summer of tennis continues on the hard courts of the $75,000 event in Happy Valley. Two of three American teens in the Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe look to kick off their 2016 campaigns with successful weeks Down Under. Top seed Dudi Sela continues his quest to become just the second player to win 20 titles in ATP Challenger Tour history. View Draw

Did the work this offseason finally heading to Australia #excited #longflightaheadofme #bettergetcomfy

— frances tiafoe (@FTiafoe) December 30, 2015

A trio of Japanese veterans lead the charge in Bangkok, as Tatsuma Ito, Yuichi Sugita and Go Soeda represent three of the top five seeds. Sugita is the defending champion. Former World No. 8 Mikhail Youzhny, who won his first Challenger title in more than 15 years – in Eckental, Germany last November – is the third seed. View Draw

The lone tournament on clay this week is in Mendoza, Argentina, where home hope Horacio Zeballos leads the pack. Fellow Argentines Facundo Arguello and Facundo Bagnis are also seeking to impress in front of the home fans. Young gun Nicolas Jarry, of Chile, is also in the draw. View Draw