CURITIBA/STARNBERG, October 27, 2024

The week-long tennis event in Curitiba concluded with a thrilling final at the Copa Internacional de Tenis, an ATP Challenger Tour 100 clay-court tournament. Over 8,000 fans packed the Centre Court at the Graciosa Country Club to witness Brazil’s Felipe Meligeni Alves face off against Portugal’s Jaime Faria.

Both players were eyeing 100 ATP Ranking points and a winner’s prize of $18,230. However, it was Faria who dominated, avenging his defeat to Meligeni in the Roland Garros qualifying earlier this year. Faria clinched the title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory, marking the second and most significant ATP Challenger win of his career.

Jaime Faria takes the crown

The 21-year-old secures the title in Curitiba with a solid 6-4, 6-4 victory over Meligeni Alves#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/QtDLveLEbX

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) October 27, 2024

“I don’t focus too much on rankings, but I hope these points gained here will boost my career next year. In tennis, those who work harder, put in more effort, and are more consistent, do better,” said Faria, who also thanked coach Neuza Silva for accompanying him to the two tournaments in Brazil.

Meligeni Alves also climbed in the rankings to become the third-highest Brazilian player at World No. 150. “It wasn’t what I wanted, but this week was also a mental learning experience,” he said.

“Last week, I lost badly, but here, I managed to reach the final with a different mentality. This is important because there’s still a lot to come. I’ve only been working with my new coach, Matias O’neille, for two weeks, and we achieved this result, which shows that I’m capable of accomplishing a lot more.”