Almost a year after winning the US Open Junior title, Rafael Jodar conquered his Maiden ATP Challenger Tour Crown on Saturday in the Hersonissos Challenger 3.
The 18-year-old Spaniard, who enters his second-year season at the University of Virginia, competed in only his ninth outing at Challenger level. In the main drawing as an alternative, the #NextGenatp-Teenter did not show any signs of nerves and stormed to the milestone victory with a 6-4, 6-2 last victory against Frenchman, then added.
Last September, Jodar dramatically lifted the US Open Boys’ singles Crown, so that Nicolai Budkov Kjaer was closed in a 10-point tie-break on 6-6 in the third set to decide the championship.
The resident of Madrid earned ITA All-American Honors during his first season at the University of Virginia and qualified for the ATP Next Gen Accelerator, a program that wants to increase the development path for top players in the American Collegiature System to earn direct access to selected challenger events.
Jodar, 18th in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, is competing again in Hersonissos this week.
In other Challenger campaign, Dalibor SVRCina and Timofey Skatov Marathon Finals survived to return to the circle of the winner.
The 22-year-old SVRCina won the inaugural Europcar Cancun Country Club in Mexico to make its top 100 debut in the PIF ATP ranking. The Czech escaped Thiago Agustin Tirante 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 after a nervy three hours and 21 minutes, with SVRCina 6-4, 4-0 led before the Argentinian set up a comeback.
A complete crowd looks at the Cancun Challenger -final between Dalibor SVRCina and Thiago Agustin Tirante. Credit: imagenhop
A five-time Challenger champion, including three triumphs this season, SVRCina is 17 places higher on a career-high no. 98.
Skatov, a second place at Bonn Challenger last week, went one step further to claim his third trophy at that level on the Internazionali di Tennis Citta di Todi. The 24-year-old fought from Stefano Travaglia 7-6 (4), 0-6, 6-2 in a two-hour final, 44 minutes.
Mattia Bellucci wins the Sumter Challenger. Credit: Greybird Media/Serve First Open
Brit Fery triumphed in the Kia Open in Barranquilla, Colombia to conquer his first challenger trophy. The last opponent of Fery, former NR. 17 Bernard Tomic, withdrew for the champion competition, which was moved from Saturday to Sunday due to rain.
Fery, 23, is a former striking player for Stanford University, who is now no. 237 in the PIF ATP ranking, eight places shy to bind his career high.
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