Challenger Q&A: Klahn Captures Winnetka Crown

In 2013, Bradley Klahn stepped onto the hard courts of Winnetka and reached his first ATP Challenger Tour final.

Six years later, the American finally found his way to the winners’ circle in the Chicago suburb. Klahn completed a perfect week at the Nielsen Pro Tennis Championships with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Jason Kubler on Sunday, capturing his eighth Challenger crown.

Klahn, who was mired in a significant slump entering the week, having lost nine of 10 matches since early April, rediscovered his top form in a hurry. The California native did not drop a set en route to securing both the singles title and the doubles trophy alongside JC Aragone. Not only did he defeat the always dangerous Kubler in the final, but he also topped fourth seed Denis Istomin and sixth seed Bjorn Fratangelo along the way.

Klahn extends his win streak in Challenger finals to three straight, having prevailed exactly one year ago in Gatineau, Canada, followed by a season-ending triumph on the hard courts of Houston. The 28-year-old rises to No. 84 in the ATP Rankings and will look to continue climbing as the U.S. summer hard court season kicks into high gear.

Flawless week for @BradleyKlahn in Winnetka!

The ?? does not drop a set in claiming his eighth singles ? and the doubles ? with JC Aragone. pic.twitter.com/4hMKN7Ib8k

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) July 14, 2019

The American spoke to broadcaster Mike Cation following the final…

This is the second time you’re in the final in Winnetka. It has to feel good to come back and get the title.
It’s a great feeling to come out on top this time around. Winnetka is always a special place for me. It was my first Challenger final here in 2013. I have family not too far down the road and coming back to midwest I just love it here. The people and just the whole tournament is great. It’s a great springboard for my summer. I’m really excited for what the rest of the summer holds.

It was a weird second set in the final. You were cruising, up a set and a break, but the forehand got a little shaky. All of a sudden, everything was on his terms.
I feel like I lost my energy a little bit. Up 3-1, I was thinking a little ahead of myself. I was serving really well and he didn’t have a great read on it. I was trying to force first serves and put too much pressure on myself. I thought my feet stopped a little bit and I didn’t have the same energy on my forehand. I let him back into the match and allowed him to dictate the course of the points. But, that being said, I went into scrap mode and just make some balls. Just to show him that while I may have lost my game a little bit, mentally I was going to be competing for every point. It was a matter of time.

It was a weird situation today, because you had a five-set epic at Wimbledon between Djokovic and Federer. Roger was trying to serve it out in the fifth, you walked by and I said to you, ‘Hey, you’re not watching the end of the match?’ You said to me that you had your own final to focus on. It’s one of these weird situations and it shows how important every final is, regardless of the stage or level.
Obviously they are two of the greatest ever and it’s a huge match. But for me, it’s about staying in my routine like any other match. It’s a much smaller occasion, but this was a huge thing for me to get over the hump and get some match wins and a title. Like I said, it’s a great way to kick off the summer and keep the momentum that I made on the grass. I had things to do to make sure I took care of my preparations before my match. My focus today was on the 2pm final and getting the job done.