Challenger Tennis Back In Manila After 22 Years

It was 22 years ago, in the summer of 1994, that the Philippines last hosted a professional tournament on the ATP Challenger Tour. Australia’s Michael Tebbutt won his lone title, routing future World No. 4 Tim Henman in the final 6-2, 6-2. The tournament would subsequently close its doors, but more than two decades later, the city of Manila welcomes back the Philippine Open. Held this week at the same venue as it was in 1994, the tennis centre at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, the tournament is located in the Malate district of Manila.

“Having the Challenger in Manila is great for tennis in the Philippines,” Treat Huey told ATPWorldTour.com. Huey is one of the nation’s most successful players with six ATP World Tour doubles titles and a career-high spot of No. 20 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings. “It will hopefully grow the game throughout the country, as fans and younger players will come to the Challenger and see world-class tennis. I hope they will be inspired to play and in the coming years more Filipino players will compete worldwide and on the ATP World Tour. We have some good, young players and hopefully there will be even more rising up the ranks with this tournament, as they see something to strive for.”

In the midst of a tennis renaissance, Japanese World No. 7 Kei Nishikori has put Asian tennis back on the map and look no further than the Challenger circuit for more signs of progress in the continent’s resurgence. Last year, 27 events were contested in 11 Asian countries, with the ATP Challenger Tour returning to Vietnam for the first time since 2007. British rising star Kyle Edmund won his first career title in Hong Kong, which welcomed back professional tennis after a 13-year hiatus.

“We are very pleased that Manila is hosting this ATP Challenger tournament, especially at a time when they have young players who are looking to break onto the Tour,” said Alison Lee, Chair of the ATP Challenger Committee. “All these Asian countries now hosting Challengers are contributing to the future success of this region and tennis in Asia is certainly gathering momentum. There were 17 Asian players ranked inside the Top 200 in the 2015 year-end Emirates ATP Rankings, versus only seven players 10 years prior. As the number of Challengers in this region increases, it is natural that more higher-ranked players from Asia will emerge as they gain more international playing experience.”

Manila tournament director Randy Villanueva, who serves as the vice president of the Philippine Tennis Association, hopes the tournament will continue to cultivate its identity as an emerging market in the tennis world.

“The last time the tournament was here, it was very memorable,” said Villanueva. “We’re blessed that the ATP considered us to do it here again. It’s timely too because we’ve recently had some very good junior players who are now trying their careers on the professional circuit.

“I’m passionate with what we’re doing at the tennis federation. We’ve always wanted to host an ATP event here and now we have the chance. We are excited. I hope that some Filipinos will do well in the tournament. We have Ruben Gonzales, who has won some Challengers in doubles. The fans are excited and hopefully they show up.”

World No. 105 Luca Vanni is the top seed this week in Manila, with former World No. 8 Mikhail Youzhny seeking a third ATP Challenger Tour title in as many weeks. Young guns Kimmer Coppejans, seeded fifth, and 17-year-old Duckhee Lee are in the draw as well. Four Filipinos – Gonzales, Alberto Lim, Francis Casey Alcantara and Jeson Patrombon – are looking to make a splash on home soil.