Two #NextGenATP children, Leandro Riedi and Ben Shelton, shined at indoor laborious courtroom occasions on the ATP Challenger Tour this week.
Switzerland’s Riedi superior by means of qualifying en path to claiming his maiden title on the Helsinki Challenger whereas Shelton continued his historic Challenger Tour run on the Champaign (Illinois) Challenger, the place he collected his third straight Challenger title and prolonged his match-winning streak to fifteen.
Riedi defeated Czech Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-1 within the ultimate on the HPP Open in Finland. The 20-year-old gained seven matches in eight days to win the Challenger 90 occasion.
“It’s the very best feeling on this planet,” Riedi stated following the title. “My objective all week was to, it doesn’t matter what, keep optimistic and I believe that’s what bought me right here.”
Riedi has made a sudden affect on the Challenger circuit since transitioning from juniors. The Swiss captured the 2020 Australian Open boys’ doubles title (w/ Nicholas David Ionel) and fell brief to countryman Dominic Stricker within the 2020 Roland Garros boys’ singles ultimate to complete a standout junior profession. Earlier this season, Riedi upset top-seeded Maxime Cressy on the Lugano Challenger earlier than advancing to his first Challenger ultimate (l. Nardi).
The Helsinki crown lifts Riedi to a career-high 197 within the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
Shelton, 20, battled a gradual begin in Sunday’s ultimate to take down Australian Aleksandar Vukic 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 and triumph on the Paine Schwartz Partners Challenger.
The 2022 NCAA singles champion is the youngest participant in Challenger historical past to win three titles in as many weeks and the second American to take action (Sam Querrey ‘14 Napa, Sacramento, Tiburon). The former University of Florida star is one among 12 gamers who has mastered the feat, together with Benjamin Bonzi, who completed it final yr (St. Tropez, Cassis, Rennes).
“I really feel fairly fortunate, I didn’t count on to play 15 matches in three weeks and my physique held up,” Shelton stated. “It’s encouraging to me that I can play this many matches and be alright.”
Challenger Win Percentage Leaders (2022)
| Player | W-L | Pct. |
| Jack Draper (GBR) | 24-4 | 85.7 |
| Wu Yibing (CHN) | 23-4 | 85.2 |
| Ben Shelton (USA) | 35-8 | 81.4 |
| Quentin Halys (FRA) | 43-10 | 81.1 |
| Ugo Humbert (FRA) | 19-5 | 79.2 |
After beginning the yr at No. 573, Shelton has collected a 35-8 Challenger-match document, which has helped him climb to a career-high 97.
“It’s positively gone fast,” Shelton stated relating to his Top 100 debut. “I’m going to take this offseason and decelerate a bit, take pleasure in myself, and likewise deal with some issues I can enhance.”
In Sao Leopoldo, Brazil, Juan Pablo Varillas escaped a 3 hour, 12 minute marathon ultimate, the place he fought from 1/5 down within the opening set tie-break earlier than profitable six straight factors to steal the opening set and ultimately defeated Argentine Facundo Bagnis, 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4.
The Peruvian, who’s a three-time Challenger finalist this season, has made a minimum of the semi-finals in three of his previous 4 Challenger tournaments (Ambato, Guayaquil). Following the title on the Challenger Dove Men+Care Sao Leo Open de Tenis, Varillas is ten spots shy of tying his profession excessive mark 97, which he reached in August 2022.
Juan Pablo Varillas celebrates profitable the 2022 Sao Leopoldo Challenger. Credit: Giovani Paim/Urge Criativa
“I’m very comfortable to win one other Challenger title,” Varillas stated. “I consider I had an unbelievable and optimistic week in each manner. I believe I completed what I used to be searching for this week. It was a fantastic ultimate, a really powerful match that was determined within the particulars.”
In May, Varillas made his Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros, the place he held a two units to like lead on then-World No. 9 Felix Auger-Aliassime, who ultimately recovered to win in 5 units.
Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki rallied from a set all the way down to win his second Challenger title, each on house soil on the Kobe Challenger. The 24-year-old defeated Frederico Ferreira Silva 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 within the ultimate to say the Hyogo Noah Challenger.
“I simply fought and fought, I’m so comfortable to win,” Watanuki stated. “I used to be a little bit tight, Fredrico performed properly, however I used to be so comfortable to get the ultimate level.”
Bourbon Beans Dome, house of the Kobe Challenger. Credit: Kathryn Riley
Watanuki, who’s coached by his brother Yusuke, is simply two spots shy of tying his career-high 171, which he reached in March 2019. Earlier this season, the Saitama native reached his first Tour-level quarter-final on the ATP 250 occasion in Lyon (l. de Minaur).
Vasek Pospisil is within the Top 100 for the primary time since October 2021 following his title on the Challenger Banque Nationale de Drummondville in Canada, the place he defeated American Michael Mmoh 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-4.
Pospisil is a four-time Challenger finalist this season, together with on the Quimper Challenger, the place he was topped champion (d. Barrere).
Vasek Pospisil triumphs on house soil on the 2022 Drummondville Challenger. Credit: Sarah-Jäde Champagne/Agence KICK Inc.
The former World No. 25 gained the 2014 Wimbledon doubles title (w/ Jack Sock) and the next yr the Canadian reached the singles quarter-final on the All England Club (l. Murray).
Pospisil, who was seeded third on the Drummondville Challenger, will subsequent symbolize Canada of their quarter-final Davis Cup tie in opposition to Germany.
In Drummondville doubles motion, the British duo Julian Cash and Henry Patten dropped only one set all week en path to capturing a record-tying eighth Challenger doubles title.