CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, July 24, 2016

The ATP Challenger Tour will return to Cortina d’Ampezzo for the third edition of the €42,500 event, held from 1 to 7 August at the Tennis Country Club.

In 2014 Filip Krajinovic captured the title of the first tournament taking place in the heart of the southern Dolomitic Alps in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Paolo Lorenzi, who claimed his first title on the ATP World Tour in Kitzbühel on Saturday, lifted the trophy last year. Together will Filippo Volandri he also played tennis at the peak of Tofane mountain group at the altitude of 3,244 metres.

The defending champion will not return to Cortina this year. The entry list is led by Spaniard Inigo Cervantes, who is joined by fellow top 100 players Carlos Berlocq and Facundo Bagnis, both from Argentina. NextGen star Andrey Rublev and Italian youngster Stefano Napolitano will also appear in the player’s field.

“We will improve the services offered to the players this year,” tournament director and technical manager of the Country Club Cortina Andrea Mantegazza said at the tournament’s first press conference on Saturday. “We will have five practice courts, an appropriately equipped fitness area and a gym just in the heart of the club. We also worked to improve the area for the fans and the public.” Side events for the entire nine days of the tournament are planned as well.

“This third edition brings many new features. We want to be the most important tournament in the world on clay this week. And according to the entry list we are. The level will be very high. The wild cards still have to be finalized and we hope to bring more important players to Cortina. We are proud to have a group of young international players here, such as the Russian Rublev. But also many young Italians as Donati, Sonego and Napolitano,” Mantegazza is looking forward to the event.