LITTLE ROCK/STARNBERG, June 2, 2024
Mitchell Krueger from the United States and Yuta Shimizu of Japan will compete in Sunday’s singles final of the UAMS Health Little Rock Open hosted by the Rebsamen Tennis Center.
Kruger, No. 6 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 75 hard-court event in Arkansas, rallied past eighth-seeded Jordanian Ahmed Shelbayh 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the stage of the last four on Saturday. Mitchell fired 10 aces and won 74 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and two minutes.
3rd final of 2024 for Mitchell Krueger 😎
The American defeats Shelbayh in 3 sets and will face Shimizu in the Little Rock championship!#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/bc6dae2xPt
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 1, 2024
Shimizu edged out US-American teenager Nishesh Basavareddy 7-6(3), 6-0. The 24-year-old Konan native converted four of his five break-point opportunities to advance in one hour and 38 minutes.
Krueger, 30, is bidding for his fifth ATP Challenger Tour career title, his second of the season following his triumph on home soil at the Southern California Open at Indian Wells in January. Shimizu, a winner of 12 titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour, could lift his maiden Challenger trophy. The pair will meet for the first time.
Draxl/Sigouin triumph in doubles
In other action, Liam Draxl and Benjamin Sigouin captured the doubles title. The all-Canadian combination defeated No. 2 seeds Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli of India and Mexican Hans Hach-Verdugo 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in one hour and 20 minutes.
By winning their first Challenger doubles team title, Draxl and Sigouin split $4,665 in prize money and earned 75 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
