After claiming their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2022, Finland’s Otto Virtanen and Hungarian Fabian Marozsan returned to the winners’ circle this week and are each now at career-high marks within the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.
Virtanen, 21, claimed the Lugano Challenger whereas Marozsan gained on the clay courts of Antalya, Turkey.
In Switzerland, Virtanen defeated Turkish qualifier Cem Ilkel 6-4, 7-6(5) within the remaining to gather the Challenger BancaStato Citta Di Lugano and climb to No. 139 within the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.
A two-time Challenger titlist, Virtanen earned his first Challenger title this previous October when he superior by qualifying en path to profitable the Bergamo Challenger.
The 23-year-old Marozsan dropped only one set all week to win the Megasaray Hotels Open. In the championship match, the second seed downed Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-0.
After Marozsan’s maiden title in Banja Luka in August, the Budapest native has loved extra breakthrough moments on the Challenger Tour. The Hungarian No. 2 (behind Marton Fucsovics) was a finalist on the 2022 Bratislava Challenger and reached the ultimate 4 in Alicante. Following his triumph in Antalya, Marozsan rises to 134 within the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.
At the Puerto Magico Open in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Benoit Paire captured his seventh Challenger title and first since November 2015. Four of the Frenchman’s 5 matches went the space, together with within the first spherical, the place he fended off a match level to outlive Nicolas Mejia.
Benoit Paire is topped champion on the 2023 Puerto Vallarta Challenger. Credit: Barbara Ramos Villalobos
In the ultimate, Paire rallied from a set all the way down to defeat Japan’s Yuta Shimizu 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.
“It was an excellent week for me,” Paire mentioned. “Mentally I used to be prepared, I fought till the top. The first one was not straightforward, I used to be match level down. I’m actually completely satisfied about this week.”
At the Challenger Santiago – Copa Kia in Chile, Bolivian Hugo Dellien ousted Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to say his ninth Challenger title and third in Chile’s capital metropolis (2019, 2022).
Hugo Dellien collects the title on the Santiago Challenger. Credit: Challenger Santiago – Copa Kia
In Dellien’s quarter-final match, the 29-year-old escaped a 3 hour, 36 minute marathon towards seventh seed Franco Agamenone 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 7-6(5).
“I’m proud of how I performed all week,” Dellien mentioned. “I knew it was going to be a tough remaining. I felt comfy and superb bodily.
“For me it’s a pleasure to come back to Chile and really feel the love of the individuals. It is a really particular match. I’ve at all times achieved properly and I hope that each time I’ll return it will likely be like this.”
Source: www.atptour.com