Garin Serves Up Breakthrough Season On Clay

Christian Garin was battling away on the ATP Challenger Tour just six months ago, but he’s making headlines this year for his breakthrough ATP Tour results on clay.

After finishing 2018 with a flourish by winning three consecutive Challenger titles, the Chilean followed up this February by winning his first ATP Tour main draw match in six years against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the Argentina Open. Garin then reached his first ATP Tour final two weeks later at the Brasil Open (l. to Pella).

But it was last month where Garin brought the crowd to their feet and himself to his knees by winning his maiden crown at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston (d. Ruud). The 22-year-old become the first Chilean in 10 years (Fernando Gonzalez, Vina Del Mar 2009) to win an ATP Tour event.

Garin has since added a pair of high-profile wins to his banner season. He scored his first Top 20 win last week against Denis Shapovalov at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell and recorded his first Top 10 win today against two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev in the BMW Open by FWU quarter-finals.

The Chilean was ranked outside of the Top 200 at this time last year, but will crack the Top 40 if he can defeat Marco Cecchinato on Saturday in the Munich semi-finals.