Swiss Leandro Riedi and Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki are making a late season surge on the ATP Challenger Tour. Riedi and Watanuki, who’re amongst 4 Challenger champions this week, have every claimed two Challenger titles in as many weeks and are at a career-high mark within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
Riedi, 20, was topped champion this week on the Andria Challenger. The #NextGenATP teenager, who defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6(4), 6-3 within the remaining, didn’t drop a set all week en path to profitable the Castel Del Monte Open – Andria.
The Frauenfeld native joins Marc-Andrea Huesler and Dominic Stricker as two-time Challenger titlists this season from Switzerland. After profitable 12 straight matches, together with advancing via qualifying to win the Helsinki Challenger, Riedi rises to a career-high 161 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
“I really feel unbelievable,” Riedi stated. “It’s been a completely loopy two weeks. I beloved it, it was a lot enjoyable. It’s been one of the best two weeks of my profession and I hope it’s just the start.”
The 2020 Roland Garros boys’ singles finalist (l. Stricker) has been making a sudden influence on the Challenger Tour since ending a standout junior profession, together with profitable the 2020 Australian Open boys’ doubles title (Nicholas David Ionel).
In Andria doubles motion, British duo Julian Cash and Henry Patten captured a record-setting ninth Challenger title this season. The earlier report, eight Challenger doubles titles in a season, was set in 2012 by twin brothers from Thailand, Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana.
Watanuki, seeded third, didn’t drop a set all week to triumph on the Yokkaichi Challenger. In a rematch of the earlier week’s Kobe Challenger remaining, Watanuki defeated Portugal’s Frederico Ferreria Silva 6-2, 6-2 within the championship match.
“Truthfully, earlier than these 4 weeks (Japanese Challenger swing) began, I did not anticipate such good outcomes,” Watanuki stated.
“I actually cannot consider I’m ranked 145. I wish to play on the ATP Tour as a lot as doable sooner or later. At any time when I had an opportunity, I at all times tried to play on the ATP Tour this yr. I undoubtedly have a greater outlook enjoying with excessive degree gamers. I wish to problem myself an increasing number of.”
The 24-year-old, who’s coached by his older brother Yusuke, reached his first Tour-level quarter-final earlier this season on the ATP 250 occasion in Lyon (l. de Minaur).
Watanuki has constructed upon his season’s success, together with profitable 14 of his previous 15 matches and reaching the ultimate at every of the previous three Challenger tournaments he’s competed in (Yokohama, Kobe, Yokkaichi). The Saitama native is the one Japanese participant to assert a number of challenger titles this season.
Regardless of coming into the week ranked No. 901, Argentine Guido Andreozzi superior via qualifying on the Temuco Challenger en path to capturing his first Challenger title since October 2018 (Guayaquil).
Guido Andreozzi breathes a sigh of reduction after profitable the Temuco Challenger.” />
Guido Andreozzi breathes a sigh of reduction after profitable the Temuco Challenger. Credit score: Bastien Vidal
Andreozzi, former World No. 70, rallied from a set down within the remaining to defeat countryman Nicolas Kicker 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. After needing deciding units in 4 of his 5 major draw matches this week, the Buenos Aires native prevailed to win the Challenger Dove Males+Care Temuco.
The 31-year-old provides to Argentina’s record-setting 23 Challenger titles this season. Andreozzi is the sixteenth completely different Argentine champion of this yr, marking a Challenger Tour report for essentially the most completely different winners from a single nation in a season.
Andreozzi additionally paired with Guillermo Duran to win their seventh workforce title this yr on the Challenger 100 occasion in Chile.
On the Copa Faulcombridge in Valencia, Spain, Ukraine’s Oleksii Krutykh defeated French teenager Luca Van Assche 6-2, 6-0 within the remaining to gather his second Challenger title of the season.
Oleksii Krutykh in motion on the 2022 Valencia Challenger.” />
Oleksii Krutykh in motion on the 2022 Valencia Challenger. Credit score: Raul Piles
The 22-year-old, who additionally gained the Prague Challenger in August, is the one Ukrainian to assert a Challenger title this season. This week in Valencia, Krutykh rallied from a set down in his quarter-final and semi-final matches to maintain his title run alive.
The Kyiv native, who additionally gained the doubles title in Spain (w/ Oriol Roca Batalla) rises to a career-high 190 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
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