Watch Challenger Hot Shot Countdown

Young Guns Make Their Mark
The ATP’s next generation proved to be a dominant force throughout the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour season, with nine teenagers racking up a total of 13 titles – a significant increase from six winners last year.

The four teenagers in the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings – Hyeon Chung, Borna Coric, Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alexander Zverev – all hoisted trophies. Chung became just the second Korean to crack the Top 100 with his second of four titles in Savannah in April. Coric dominated on the South American clay of Barranquilla, notching his second career crown, while Kokkinakis prevailed at the prestigious event in Bordeaux for his maiden title. Zverev’s bid for the ATP Star of Tomorrow Award presented by Emirates, as the youngest member of the Top 100, was bolstered with a run to the title on home soil in Heilbronn.

Three American teens – Jared Donaldson, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe – finished in the year-end Top 200 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, with Donaldson prevailing in Maui in February and Fritz joining an elite club in winning a pair of titles at age 17, in Sacramento and Fairfield. Also, when Fritz defeated Donaldson in the Sacramento final, it marked the first all-teenage title match on the ATP Challenger Tour since 2007. A second such final would follow a month later, with New York’s Noah Rubin turning in the comeback of the year from 3-6, 1-5 down in Charlottesville, topping countryman Tommy Paul.

Read Features: Donaldson | Fritz | Tiafoe | Rubin

In addition, 19-year-olds Elias Ymer and Karen Khachanov tasted Challenger glory in Caltanissetta and Istanbul.

2015 TEEN TITLISTS

Cervantes’ Spellbinding Run
Inigo Cervantes turned in a Challenger campaign for the ages, securing a 50-win, four-title season with an undefeated run at the ATP Challenger Tour Finals. The Spaniard saved two match points in defeating Daniel Munoz-de la Nava for the title, becoming just the third player to claim 50 match wins in a single season. Cervantes entered the Top 100 for the first time with a run to the Montevideo final the week prior and finished with a year-end position of No. 72.

“These numbers show how excellent my year was,” Cervantes said. “Two years ago, I was in a wheelchair without being able to play tennis or walk because of two hip surgeries. Now I have my best ranking. Next year I’ll have even bigger goals and I hope to get better and better.”

The 26 year old won four titles from six finals this year, prevailing in Ostrava, Vicenza, Marburg and the season finale in Sao Paulo, while finishing runner-up in Eskisehir and Montevideo.

Top 100 Takeover
Ten players enjoyed jumps of at least 60 spots into the Top 100 of the Emirates ATP Rankings this year, and all won ATP Challenger Tour titles. Cervantes experienced the biggest leap, soaring 180 spots from a 2014 year-end position of World No. 252 to No. 72. India’s Yuki Bhambri posted a 40-15 season, rising 156 spots to a career-high World No. 88. Cervantes’ countryman Munoz-de la Nava also catapulted from outside the Top 200 to a year-end No. 75 position, behind a 46-18 campaign and a trio of titles. Chung, Kokkinakis, Taro Daniel, Marco Cecchinato and John Millman also made their Top 100 debuts, with 33-year-old Munoz-de la Nava becoming one of the 14 oldest players to do so for the first time in the history of the Emirates ATP Rankings.

Read Munoz-de la Nava feature

Milestone Men
Whoever said that the best things in life come in threes was clearly thinking of the 2015 season on the ATP Challenger Tour. Since its inception in 1978, only Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo had etched his name in the record books as a 300-match winner on the circuit. For more than three years, the Spaniard stood alone. Until now.

On 13 May, Yen Hsun Lu entered the exclusive club with a second-round victory in Seoul. Ten days later, it was Paolo Lorenzi‘s turn to make history with a quarter-final win in Eskisehir (Turkey). The party didn’t stop there, with Lorenzi’s countryman Filippo Volandri breaking through exactly one month later in Milan. All three players were honoured with on-court ceremonies after securing their milestone wins.

Read tributes: Lu | Lorenzi | Volandri

In addition, Lu added to his record title haul with his 22nd Challenger crown at the $125,000 event in Ningbo, China. Dudi Sela also reached a titles milestone with his fourth triumph in Vancouver, adding to crowns in 2005, ‘08 & ‘10. The Israeli is just the fifth player to win at least four titles at a single tournament.

Challengers Honoured In London
The ATP Challenger Tour’s finest had their moment in the spotlight during the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Throughout the 2015 season, nine tournaments on the circuit were honoured with 25-year commitment awards and the celebration culminated with a group dinner in London. These events have exemplified a steadfast dedication to growing the game and creating a strong foundation for players to develop their skills at the Challenger level. They are Aptos (U.S.A.), Cherbourg (France), Furth (Germany), Istanbul (Turkey), San Luis Potosi (Mexico), Segovia (Spain), Sevilla (Spain), Tampere (Finland) and Winnetka (U.S.A.).

Tour Tidbits

• The longest final in ATP Challenger Tour history took place between Somdev Devvarman and Daniel Nguyen in Winnetka. Five rain delays later, Devvarman would capture the title 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(5) at 1:30am after three hours and 31 minutes.

• Felix Auger Aliassime sent shockwaves around the circuit when the then-14 year old became the first player born in the 2000s to earn a position in the Emirates ATP Rankings, following a successful qualifying run in Drummondville. The Canadian would later become the youngest ever to win a main draw Challenger match with his quarter-final run in Granby. He peaked at World No. 742 – the youngest player to break into the Top 800.

• A Challenger legend retired in 2015, as American stalwart Michael Russell hung up his racquet following a 17-year career. Iron Mike is Top 10 in match wins and titles on the circuit, owning the eighth-most victories (276) and tied for the eighth-most titles (15).

• Mikhail Youzhny claimed his first Challenger title in more than 15 years, winning in Eckental, Germany. It was the longest gap between titles in Challenger history, surpassing Michael Chang’s previous record of 14 years, five months.

• There were two instances of 20-year age gaps between opponents, with the veteran taking both encounters. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (37) beat Stefanos Tsitsipas (17) in Mohammedia and Tommy Haas (37) downed Andrey Rublev (17) in Aptos.

• Three former Top 10 players competed in the Vancouver main draw: Radek Stepanek, Ernests Gulbis and Jurgen Melzer. It was the most since Sunrise 2010, which featured seven former Top 10 players.

• Six players completed the ATP World Tour-ATP Challenger Tour double in 2015, winning titles on both circuits: Victor Estrella Burgos, Jiri Vesely, Nicolas Mahut, Rajeev Ram, Benoit Paire and Denis Istomin. Vesely was the lone repeat Challenger winner with his title run on home soil in Prostejov.

• Seven players won a title while saving at least one match point in the final. Tim Smyczek fought off four championship points against Denis Kudla in Tiburon, while Nikoloz Basilashvili saved three in rallying past Andrey Kuznetsov in Scheveningen. Cervantes (ATP Challenger Tour Finals), Rubin (Charlottesville) and Matthew Ebden (Surbiton) each staved off two, and Paire (Mouilleron Le Captif) and Andrej Martin (Padova) one apiece.

• Stefano Napolitano won 33 consecutive points in a Todi (Italy) qualifying match. Read More

• Four countries from four different continents claimed double digit titles, with 11 players from the United States combining for 14 titles. Players from Argentina and Spain also lifted 14 trophies each. Australia rounded out the double-digit foursome with 10.

• Shortest completed final of the year: 48 minutes (Rajeev Ram d. Jason Jung 6-1, 6-2 in Guadalajara, Mexico).

• Federico Delbonis posted the longest win streak of the season: 17 matches and 28 consecutive sets won, claiming titles in Sarasota, Rome and Milan. Eight players registered win streaks of at least 11 matches.

• Eight titlists were ranked outside the Top 300, one more than in 2014. At World No. 694, Fritz was the highest-ranked champion when he won his maiden title in Sacramento.

• Qualifiers won five titles this year. Yasutaka Uchiyama was the lone lucky loser to reach a final (Lexington) and first since 2013.

• There were 31 champions over the age of 30 and 25 first-time winners on the Challenger circuit in 2015. Twenty-eight titlists prevailed without dropping a set.

Alexander “Sascha” Zverev has tennis in his blood. Son of Alexander Sr., who represented the Soviet Union in Davis Cup, and younger brother of ATP World Tour professional Mischa, the 18-year-old German shares some of his tennis memories in this Biofile with Scoop Malinowski.

Born On: April 20, 1997 in Hamburg, Germany

First Tennis Memory: I’ve been told that I was like a year old and I was always taking a little tennis racquet and just playing with balls in the apartment. I guess that’s my first.

Tennis Inspirations: Roger Federer. And I also get inspired by other sports like Dwyane Wade for example inspires me a lot. The way he plays at his age and the way he has a family. And such a good father and manages to be one of the best basketball players in the world.

First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: It was Roger Federer when I was about four years old – I believe in Hamburg in our hometown tournament. I was just somewhere in the players’ lounge. That’s my first time I remember meeting someone of the players.

Last Book Read: Probably a school book – you don’t read these days – you watch Netflix.

Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: Basketball.

Greatest Sports Moment: Well I actually have two. One of them was reaching semifinals of Hamburg last year. The other one was winning my first round at Wimbledon 9-7 in the fifth set (vs Teymuraz Gabashvili) which was (an) over four hour match where I really had all kinds of physical problems. I had cramps – I was getting sick – and I still managed to win that. That is where I’m kind of proud of myself as well.

Most Painful Moment: Losing to (David) Ferrer in the semi-final wasn’t very nice in Hamburg – love and one [smiles]. Probably the French Open junior final back in 2013 (to Christian Garin) when I was only sixteen years old. I really wanted to win that but unfortunately I didn’t. The worst experience of my career was playing my brother (Mischa). You have to win the point…but then you’re playing your brother and you don’t want to win.

Strangest Match: Actually this year in Miami. I played Sam Groth. I did not win one single point on his serve. Until the game of 6-5 30-love for him. And I broke him. I won four points straight. Then the whole match I won about twelve points on his serve. And I broke him twice. So I still have no idea how I won that match [smiles].

Three Athletes You Like To Watch & Follow: Roger Federer. Dwyane Wade. And Dirk Nowitzki.

Funniest Players Encountered: Oh there are a few – Gael Monfils. Marinko Matosevic. And I don’t know – there’s probably others.

Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: Because it’s one on one sport. You don’t get that in any other sport really. The closest you get is probably boxing. You still have your coaches and your team in your corner telling you what to do and stuff. I think tennis all depends on yourself. And that’s something fantastic about tennis.

Favorite Tournament(s): Hamburg, because it’s my hometown. And it’s one of the greatest tournaments out there.

People Qualities Most Admired: Just honesty. I don’t like fake people a lot.

Courtesy of Scoop Malinowski, tennis-prose.com. Scoop is the author of “Facing Federer” , “Facing Hewitt” and “Facing Nadal”, all available on Amazon. 

Continuing our Season In Review Series, ATPWorldTour.com revisits the biggest Grand Slam upsets of 2015. In today’s countdown we feature Nos. 2-1:

2. Benoit Paire d. Kei Nishikori 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4/R128/US Open

The accolades, the praise kept coming. Long a highly touted prospect, Kei Nishikori’s grip-and-rip game had finally come together on the biggest of stages. The tireless baseliner and dogged competitor had broken through at the Slams, reaching the title tilt at the 2014 US Open, where he would come up just short against Croat Marin Cilic. Though the modest Japanese star would insist that his spot amongst the Top 5 in the Emirates ATP Rankings was “just a number,” it was clear he had earned it and was here to stay.

Roger Federer called the Japanese star “very solid, very consistent, very dangerous,” adding, “Doesn’t matter what the score is, doesn’t matter how long the match goes, you’re aware that Kei is not going to go away.”

Said Aussie Bernard Tomic, “If I played Kei 10 times, I could beat him once, twice right now.”

So expectations were understandably high when the 25-year-old returned to Flushing Meadows, site of some of the greatest moments of his career. The reigning runner-up had enjoyed a stellar summer hard-court swing, lifting the trophy in Washington (d. John Isner) before beating Rafael Nadal en route to the Montreal semi-finals (l. to Andy Murray).

Having dropped the first set, Nishikori seemed poised for victory as he turned the score line around and held two match points at 6-4 in the fourth-set tie-break. However, he pushed a forehand wide on his first opportunity on serve and was denied on his second on Benoit Paire’s serve. The Frenchman then clinched his first set point chance when Nishikori netted a backhand.

Paire, 26, secured an early break advantage in the fifth set and went on to close out the victory in three hours and 14 minutes. It was only the World No. 41’s third career Top-10 win and his first over a Top-5 opponent.

The last US Open runner-up to lose the following year in the first round was Andre Agassi, who was beaten by Aaron Krickstein in 1991 after falling to Pete Sampras in the 1990 final.

“When I saw the draw against Kei, I said, ‘Bad luck. You play Kei in the first round, he made final last year.’ [But] you have to find pleasure in this match. You have to feel good on the court, to have fun. You’re going to play on a big court, in a big stadium. My coach told me the most important thing is when you go out of the court, you win, you lose, you don’t care, just have fun.”

“It’s always very sad to lose in the first round,” said Nishikori. “I don’t think I played badly. Didn’t play great, but still, it’s never an easy first match. He’s a good player. I hope I can come back strong next year.”

1. Andreas Seppi d. Roger Federer 6-4, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5)/R32/Australian Open

In their 10 previous encounters, Andreas Seppi had claimed a total of just one set against Roger Federer. So there was little reason to expect anything out of the ordinary when they took the court for their third-round contest at the Australian Open on January 23.

So when the 48^th-ranked Seppi won a pair of tight tie-breaks to pull off a 6-4, 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(5) upset, ending Federer’s run off 11 straight years of semi-final or better showings in Melbourne, even the Italian was in shock.

“To beat Roger for the first time, especially in a Grand Slam, best-of-five, is a special moment for me,” said Seppi, who snapped a 23-match losing streak against Top-10 competition. “You don’t play every day on centre court, full stadium in a Grand Slam against Roger. I was pretty calm, I have to say, from the beginning. Also in the important moments.”

Perhaps the most important moment came in the fourth-set tie-break.  Up 3-1 in the stanza, Federer double faulted. He would have another chance to serve it out at 5-4, but the Swiss made a costly backhand error. Seppi would take full advantage, completing the against-all-odds triumph in stunning fashion with a forehand pass down the line. The ATP World Tour veteran would call it one of the important shots of his life.

One of the most important shots, but surely the most important win. Seppi had defeated Rafael Nadal in 2008 when the Spaniard was the World No. 2, but his win over Federer in Melbourne had come on a Grand Slam stage.

“I felt for some reason yesterday and this morning it was not going to be very simple today,” said Federer. “Even in practice I still felt the same way. I was just hoping it was one of those feelings you sometimes have and it’s totally not true and you just come out and you play a routine match. I was aware of the test and was well prepared.”

Federer would register three wins over Seppi before the year was over (Indian Wells, Halle, Paris), making the Australian Open result even more puzzling.