POZOBLANCO/STARNBERG, July 14, 2024
A former champion of the Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco, Frenchman Kenny de Schepper, will headline the qualifying of the ATP Challenger Tour 50 tournament in Andalucia. The tournament kicks off this Sunday in Pozoblanco, with young Portuguese player Tiago Pereira as the top seed.
The qualifying will feature many promising talents in the world of tennis, players who have excelled on the Junior Tour and are now making their way on the Pro Circuit. This includes Pereira himself, at 20 years old, as well as Italians Peter Buldorini (19 years) and Fabrizio Andaloro (23), and Briton Patrick Brady (19 years).
De Schepper brings the experience. At 37 years old is the third favorite, in a section of the draw where Canarian Ivan Marrero appears as the main opponent in the battle to enter the main draw.
Among the Top 16 at Wimbledon 2013
The French player boasts an extensive track record, with nearly 100 matches in ATP Tour tournaments, a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon, participation in 13 Grand Slam tournaments, 11 finals on the ATP Challenger Tour with five titles, and victories over players of the caliber of Andrey Rublev, Marin Cilic, Karen Khachanov, Adrian Mannarino, Kevin Anderson, Tommy Robredo, and Cameron Norrie. At his peak, he was ranked 62nd in the world.
In Pozoblanco, De Schepper was crowned champion in the 2011 edition, defeating Ivan Navarro in the final and Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarterfinals. Another veteran is Costa Rican Jesse Flores, a regular in the Davis Cup competition with his country, where he has 24 victories to his name.
Focus on Spanish players
Among the Spanish players, the young 19-year-old from Barcelona, Albert Pedrico, stands out. He was a semi-finalist last year in the Spanish Junior Championship, and Andalusian Benjamin Winter, who recently reached the semi-finals at the ITF World Tennis Tour tournament in Getxo.
In total, there will be nine Spanish players in the qualifying, with three direct match-ups between them, ensuring the presence of three national players in the round that will grant access to the main draw of the Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco 2024.
🎾 Mañana empezamos desde muy temprano…
¡Y ya tenemos el sorteo de la previa!#TenisPozoblanco #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/aTuqpeWD95
— Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco (@PozoblancoOpen) July 13, 2024
