The 2016 ATP Challenger Tour calendar contained 166 tournaments, with prize money ranging from $40,000 up to $125,000. It was the 40th edition of Challenger tournaments cycle, and eighth under the name of “ATP Challenger Tour”. Tennis TourTalk is having a review of the season in eleven parts to close the year.
In the first week of February, Kyle Edmund captured his fourth ATP Challenger title by lifting the trophy of the $100,000 RBC Tennis Championships of Dallas. He defeated fellow Briton Daniel Evans 6-3, 6-2 in the final.
“It was obviously a good week, as I didn’t drop a set, which is ideal. I made the final in Maui one week ago and I had to do the transition from outdoors to the indoors, which was a little bit tricky in the first couple of rounds but I am happy about the way I was playing. I improved throughout the week and got better with every match, playing the my best in the final,” Edmund was satisfied with his performance in Dallas.
In the meantime in Australia, local favourite and wild card Blake Mott claimed his maiden ATP Challenger title, winning the final of the $75,000 Neville-Smith Forest Products Launceston Interational against eighth seed Andrey Golubev 6-7, 6-1, 6-2.
“What an amazing week for me here in Launceston. Loved every minute out there! Appreciate all the kind messages,”Mott wrote on twitter.
The following week, clay court specialists were back in action with Guido Andreozzi of Argentina lifting the trophy of the second edition of the $75,000 Milex Open in Santo Domingo. Andreozzi beat his compatriot Nicolas Kicker 6-0, 6-4.
Back in Europe, French doubles specialist Pierre-Hugues Herbert made a name of himself, winning the €42,500 Internazionali di Tennis Trofeo Perrel-Faip in Bergamo. He ousted Egor Gerasmiov of Belarus in straight sets.
Marco Chiudinelli takes the “dwarf” (photo: Wroclaw Open)
The week of February 15, Marco Chiudinelli captured the title of the second edition of the €85,000 Wroclaw Open, winning the final at an almost fully packed Hala Orbita against Czech qualifer Jan Hernych 6-3, 7-6.
“I am happy that so many people came out to watch the final and created a great atmosphere,” Chiudinelli told after winning his first ATP Challenger title since lifting the trophy in Tenerife in 2009.
Gerald Melzer was successful again in America. The Austrian claimed his third ATP Challenger title of the season, winning the final of the third edition of the $50,000 Morelos Open against Alejandro Gonzalez 7-6, 6-3.
French veteran Stéphane Robert was the champion of the $50,000 Delhi Open. He defeated fourth seed Saketh Myneni 6-3, 6-0.
The next week, Jordan Thompson from Australia became a new winner on the ATP Challenger Tour. He won the 23rd edition of the Challenger La Manche in Cherbourg with 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Adam Pavlasek from the Czech Republic.
Yuichi Sugita from Japan triumphed on home soil, winning the $50,000 Shimadzu All Japan Indoor Tennis Championships in Kyoto. Sugita rallied back from a set down to overcome Chinese Zhang Ze 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
In the final week of the month, NextGen star Andrey Rublev upset Paul-Henri Mathieu to claim his maiden ATP Challenger crown in Quimper. The Russian teenager lifted the trophy of the €42,500 Open BNP Paribas Banque De Bretagne.
