A LOOK BACK
Aamulehti Tampere Open (Tampere, Finland): It has been decades since the likes of Richard Krajicek, Paul Haarhuis and Jacco Eltingh ruled tennis in The Netherlands. But now, the European nation is on the rise once again. On Sunday, 22-year-old Tallon Griekspoor notched his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title in Tampere, dropping just one set en route to the crown.

Griekspoor, who defeated third seed Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 in the final, continues a dominant trend for Dutch tennis on the Challenger circuit. In June, older brother Scott Griekspoor claimed his first title in Blois, France, and two weeks ago Thiemo de Bakker triumphed on home soil in Scheveningen.

Scott and Tallon claimed a slice of Challenger history with their titles, becoming just the fourth pair of brothers to triumph in a single season since 2000. Most recently, Jurgen Melzer and Gerald Melzer each won two titles last year.

Tallon’s title was extra special considering it was his first tournament since Roland Garros qualifying, having struggled with shoulder and leg injuries. He had not won a match at any level since April. Now the second-highest ranked Dutchman, the Haarlem native is up 42 spots to a career-high No. 181 in the ATP Rankings.

“I had injuries and other health problems after French Open qualies,” said Griekspoor. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I served well the whole tournament. Londero is a fighter, he gives 100 per cent in every point. He is a very difficult and strong opponent. After I won the first set he had the momemtum at the end of the second set and beginning of the third. I managed to break his serve at 3-3 and maybe I was mentally stronger than he was at the end of the match. I’m just really happy about my first Challenger title here in Tampere.”

Brothers To Win Challenger Titles In The Same Season (since 2000)

Challenger Banque Nationale de Granby (Granby, Canada): One month ago, Peter Polansky was on the brink of breaking into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings, rising to a career-high No. 110 at the age of 30. Looks like it won’t be long before the Canadian reaches the milestone. 

Polansky clinched his third ATP Challenger Tour title at the $100,000 event in Granby, prevailing on home soil in front of a packed crowd on Sunday. Runner-up in 2017, the Toronto native went one step further this week, dropping one set en route to the title. 

After falling to France’s Ugo Humbert in a three tie-break, three-hour marathon in the Gatineau quarter-finals a week ago, Polansky got his revenge on Sunday. He would defeat Humbert 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 for the title, saving eight of 10 break points faced.

“I’m very happy to be leaving here with the title this year,” said Polansky. “I tip my hat to the work that Ugo has accomplished in the past two weeks. He’s a player with a lot of potential and he’s also a great guy. The tournament in Granby is special to me. I really appreciated the support from fans all week.”

Photo: Sarah-Jade Champagne

Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger (Binghamton, U.S.A.): This week, the $75,000 event in Binghamton, New York, celebrated its 25th anniversary. Needless to say, it was a memorable tournament for all involved. A total of 20 singles matches were completed on Thursday after torrential rain showers washed out play for two straight days.

But when the skies cleared, fans were treated to a world-class display. On Sunday, Jay Clarke defeated Jordan Thompson 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4 for his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title, capturing a dramatic, high-quality two-hour and 56-minute marathon. Thompson was two points from the championship – both on his racquet – at 5/4 in the second set tie-break, but Clarke escaped in thrilling fashion. He would eventually secure the title on his third match point, in what was the longest Challenger final since 2016.

Clarke, who turned 20 during the week, is Great Britain’s #NextGenATP hopeful. The Derby native is up to a career-high No. 175 in the ATP Rankings with the victory, rising 50 spots. He joins Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie, who ironically also recently triumphed in Binghamton (Edmund in 2015 and Norrie in 2017), as Brits in the Top 200. Andy Murray also lifted the trophy in 2005.

Internationali Di Tennis Country 2001 (Padova, Italy): At the age of 29 years and two months, Sergio Gutierrez-Ferrol became the oldest first-time winner on the ATP Challenger Tour since 2016. The Spanish veteran had never reached a Challenger semi-final entering the month, but after finishing runner-up in San Benedetto, Italy, he would take the title in Padova.

After ascending to No. 173 in the ATP Rankings six years ago, Gutierrez-Ferrol has vaulted to a new career-high of No. 158 with the title. He is the seventh different Spaniard to prevail on the ATP Challenger Tour this year, joining fellow veterans Marcel Granollers, Pablo Andujar, Tommy Robredo and Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, and #NextGenATP stars Jaume Munar and Pedro Martinez.

Advantage Cars Prague Open (Prague, Czech Republic): Lukas Rosol battled to the title on home soil in Prague, earning his ninth Challenger crown and first since 2014. It is his third victory in his home capital, adding to titles won in 2011 and ’14. The Czech rallied from a set down in three straight matches, culminating with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Aleksandr Nedovyesov on Sunday.

A LOOK AHEAD
The inaugural Sopot Open in Poland is joined by a $125,000 event in Chengdu, China, the 33rd edition of the Open Castilla y Leon in Segovia, Spain, and tournaments in Lexington, U.S.A. and Liberec, Czech Republic.

Former doubles star Mariusz Fyrstenberg is the tournament director in Sopot, with Top 100 debutant Hugo Dellien the top seed. Meanwhile, Henri Laaksonen leads the field on the hard courts of Chengdu, while the Griekspoor brothers join Granby finalist Humbert in Segovia.

In Lexington, Clarke looks to go back-to-back, with fellow #NextGenATP stars Marc Polmans, Max Purcell and Lloyd Harris also seeded. On the clay of Liberec, top seed Pedro Sousa is the defending champion.

It’s inevitable: the time will come for a generational change, one that will likely give the top of the ATP World Tour a major facelift. Even the sublime likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, ageless wonders and winners of a combined 37 Grand Slam titles, will have to call it a career at some point. And with a new crop of stars quickly coming into their own, there will be no shortage of players in which to pass the torch.

Nadal has one eye on the fresh wave of talent emerging on the tour, and another on helping to cultivate that talent. In addition to founding the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, a centre designed to train and educate promising talent, the Spaniard is hosting the Rafa Nadal Open Banc Sabadell, a newly created tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour, from 26 August to 2 September in Mallorca, Spain.

While they’re already current regulars on the ATP World Tour these days, Nadal feels 21-year-old Alexander Zverev and 19-year-old Denis Shapovalov are the most likely of the strong bunch to lead the charge to the top in coming years and the forces to push a changing of the guard.

“The young guys are coming: Zverev, Shapovalov … I’m not going to name them all, but there are many out there right now who I think are particularly special, and they are obviously going to replace us,” said Nadal, who is preparing for the North American hard-court swing by training on the surface in Mallorca. “It’s either because they are going to just be better than us in a short time or because logic dictates that age will eventually catch up to us.

“Our era was particularly exceptional, when a series of players dominated the tour for years, at the highest level of tennis, at the biggest tournaments.”

In addition to his 17 Grand Slam titles, the 32-year-old holds the record for the most ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns with 32.

Nadal also believes that the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 6-10 November in Milan, has added extra motivation for the sport’s emerging talent and a platform to showcase how fierce the competition is among tennis’ rising stars. Nadal takes particular interest in the career of Jaume Munar. The 21-year-old trains at Nadal’s academy and is currently eighth in the ATP Race To Milan. The top seven will automatically qualify for the 21-and-under event.

“[Munar] has made major strides in recent months and for us at the academy, it is with great satisfaction to see that we are able to help an up-and-coming Spanish player,” Nadal said.

Atlanta’s favourite tennis Georgia Bulldog might be on his way to becoming the city’s mayor. Top-seeded American John Isner won his fifth BB&T Atlanta Open title on Sunday, beating compatriot Ryan Harrison in the final for the second consecutive year 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

Isner extended his record haul in Atlanta (2013-’15, 2017) and picked up his second ATP World Tour title of the year, matching his career-best season tally. He won his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crown in April at the Miami Open presented by Itau (d. A. Zverev).

“It’s incredible, and I think I said it last year, I feel like there may come a time where I’m not back in the finals, or I’m not the champion again, but as it stands right now I’m very happy to be the champ here,” Isner said. “I’m very comfortable here, I make breakfast in my own room, I go to the Publix next door, it really feels like I’m at home, and that helps so much.”

The 33-year-old Isner, who will receive 250 ATP Rankings points and $119,250 in prize money, is having his best season. Earlier this month, he reached his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon (l. to Anderson). He will maintain his position in the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings at No. 9 on Monday when the new rankings are released.

The eighth-seeded Harrison was going for his second ATP World Tour title (2017 Memphis) and had chances to take control of the match after a strong opening.

In the 11^th game, Harrison converted his only break point of the first set and served to love to take the opener for the first time this week. Four times Harrison needed to come back from a set down to make the final, becoming the first player to do so since Gilles Simon at the 2008 Mutua Madrid Open.

Watch Isner’s My Story

Harrison also became the first player to come back from a set down in all four matches at an event en route to the final since Tommy Haas at the 2001 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Stuttgart.

But Harrison couldn’t seize control in the second set, failing to come through in all four of his break-point chances, including three in the third game. Instead, it was Isner who took advantage of his lone opportunity, following a forehand to the net and placing the pressure on Harrison, who netted a backhand on break point.

Isner let the momentum carry him in the third, breaking Harrison to start with a crosscourt forehand winner and serving out the match to love in the 10^th game. Harrison will receive 150 ATP Rankings points and $62,805 in prize money.

“I realise I was fortunate today… I’ve been on the other end where you have four or five chances to put your stamp on the match and you don’t get it, and I just had one chance, and played a good point, and was able to win the second set, and had one chance in the third and got up early,” Isner said. “That’s how our sport goes sometimes, and I was very fortunate today.”

Did You Know?
Isner has reached the Atlanta final eight of the nine years he’s played at the event. In 2012, he lost in the semi-finals to eventual champion Andy Roddick.

Nicholas Monroe and John-Patrick Smith will remember 29 July forever. The American-Aussie pairing won their first ATP World Tour doubles title as a team on Sunday at the BB&T Atlanta Open, beating second-seeded Americans Ryan Harrison and Rajeev Ram 3-6, 7-6(5), 10-8.

The third-seeded Monroe/Smith saved seven of eight break points and won the title despite not breaking Harrison/Ram, who saved the only break point they faced. Harrison pulled double duty on Sunday, falling in three sets to John Isner earlier in the Atlanta singles final.

Read More: Monroe Riding High On Late Doubles Breakthrough

Monroe/Smith improved to 13-13 as a team and will receive 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $36,230 in prize money. They also reached the Delray Beach Open final (l. to Sock/Withrow). Monroe has now four ATP World Tour doubles titles, while Smith celebrated his first. Harrison/Ram fell to 5-2 as a team and will receive 150 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $19,040 in prize money.

Matteo Berrettini captured his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday, beating Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(9), 6-4 at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad. Hours later, the Italian also claimed his first tour-level doubles crown, triumphing alongside Daniele Bracciali to become the first player since Alexander Zverev last year in Montpellier to win singles and doubles trophies at the same event.

Afterwards, Cecchinato spoke to ATPWorldTour.com:

How does it feel to be standing here with your first tour-level trophies in singles and doubles?
[It was an] unbelievable week, really. I think I played the best tennis of my life and I am really happy. I am also happy that I played singles and doubles and that I was able to play both. I was really good about [managing] my body.

Was winning an ATP World Tour title always a goal when you started to play tennis?
Of course I dreamed about that, but it is so far [away]. When you start, you have to think about the small things to reach and last year I won first ATP Challenger Tour title. Now, I am here with a tour-level trophy.

How much motivation has it given you to see the success of your countrymen, Marco Cecchinato and Fabio Fognini?
A lot. I am following a lot what they are doing and, in Fabio’s [case], for a really long time. Cecchinato is having an unbelievable season, so I think we help each other with these results and that is really good for Italian fans and the Italian movement.

You began the 2018 season outside the Top 100 in the ATP Rankings and without a tour-level match win. How have you found this success so quickly?
I don’t know, really. I just practise really hard and I am just living the experience that I live every day. I hope I will have a really long career… I am enjoying this kind of life.

When did you realise you could make a career out of playing tennis?
I think when I reached my first Challenger final in 2016 in Andria and I lost to Luca Vanni. I played a great week and I beat strong guys. I was really happy with that week and I talked to myself and I was thinking I could play and have a career. For sure, I didn’t think about winning an ATP World Tour title in one and a half years, but if you work and if you practise a lot, that [can be] the result.

What were your ATP Ranking goals at the beginning of the year and do you plan on changing them now?
I didn’t have a goal at the beginning of the year. Of course, I wanted to enter the Top 100… and now I am close to the Top 50. It is unbelievable. I am really happy with what I am doing and I am really proud of my family, my team and I am really enjoying what we are doing together. I have fun with my coaches, with all of my family and that is the kind of life I would like to live. I think I am doing my best to live it.

Is there anybody that you would like to acknowledge or thank for getting you to this milestone in your career?
My family has always been supporting me. They’ve travelled with me to a lot of tournaments that were not that nice and know I’m here playing in the beautiful alps. This week I came without my coach and brought my girlfriend and a friend with me. It worked out very well, maybe I should do this more often. Just joking!