GUIA DE ISORA/STARNBERG, February 11, 2025
There is almost non-stop tennis action at the Abama Tennis Academy these days, as the Tenerife Challenger 2 moves into its most exciting phase. With the first-round matches completed, top contenders are making their mark on the tournament.
Pablo Carreno Busta wasted no time in asserting his dominance, following up his title-winning run last week with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jie Cui in one hour and 35 minutes.
Six matches, one set lost. Since arriving in Tenerife, the 33-year-old Spaniard has been unstoppable.
The run continues
Six wins in a row for @pablocarreno91, who gets past Cui 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round in Tenerife #ATPChallenger | @meftennisevents pic.twitter.com/QNCsgQMjTD
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) February 11, 2025
“I feel really good, but I knew I had to stay focused in today’s match,” said Carreno Busta. “After winning a tournament, starting again in the same event is never easy. I started strong, but then I relaxed a bit, allowing him to get back into the match. Luckily, everything went my way.”
Last week, Carreno Busta celebrated his victory with his parents, but this time, his coach Victor Lopez is his sole companion in Tenerife. “Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to enjoy moments off the court, but that’s a good thing,” he admitted. “I played five matches in seven days last week. Yesterday was my only day off from tennis, and I managed to play a round of golf. It was nice to spend some time with my parents and enjoy Tenerife.”
Now the No. 3 seed in the tournament, Carreno Busta will face France’s Antoine Escoffier in the second round. Escoffier advanced with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 victory over Edas Butvilas, setting up an exciting clash with the former World No. 10.
Top seed Dominik Koepfer needed to go the distance outlasting Italian qualifier Giovanni Fonio 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. The 118th-ranked German struck five aces and won 67 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after two hours and seven minutes.
Also advancing is Alejandro Moro Canas, last week’s finalist, who defeated fellow Spaniard Pol Martin Tiffon 6-4, 6-2. The home crowd had more reasons to celebrate, as Daniel Rincon took down Junior World No. 1 Mees Rottgering in a tightly contested 7-6(10), 6-2 win. Meanwhile, Nicolas Alvarez Varona delivered an impressive performance, securing a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Elliott Spizzirri.
In a much-anticipated return to form, Emil Ruusuvuori earned his first win in seven months, defeating Jan Choinski 6-3, 6-1. The former Top 50 player, who only recently returned to competition, looked sharp as he advanced to the second round.
TUESDAY RESULTS
First Round – Singles
Dominik Koepfer (1) b. Giovanni Fonio (Q)
Chris Rodesch (Q) b. Johannus Monday 7-6(2) 6-3
Jakub Paul (Q) b. Ignacio Buse 6-3 6-1
Filip Misolic (Q) b. Carlos Taberner (6) 4-6 6-1 6-3
Pedro Cachin (Q) b. Henrique Rocha (4) 6-2 ret.
Daniel Rincon (Alt) b. Mees Rottgering 7-6(10) 6-2
Steven Diez (Q) b. Pablo Llamas Ruiz (WC) 6-4 6-3
Nicolas Alvarez Varona (WC) b. Eliot Spizzirri (7) 7-5 6-0
Pablo Carreno Busta (3) b. Jie Cui (Alt) 6-3 6-4
Alejandro Moro Cañas (5) b. Pol Martin Tiffon (Alt.) 6-4 6-2
Emil Ruusuvuori (2) b. Jan Choinski 6-3 6-1
