RECANATI, July 9, 2018

Daniel Brands has clinched his first ATP Challenger title since Eckental 2012, winning the €43,000 Guzzini Challenger in Recanati. The 30-year-old unseeded German defeated fifth favourite Adrian Menéndez-Maceiras of Spain 7-5, 6-3 in the singles final on Sunday evening.

Brands fired 11 aces on the hard courts, didn’t face a break point, converting two of his own three chances to prevail after one hour and 22 minutes.

First #ATPChallenger title in six years! Daniel Brands is the champion in Recanati, returning to the winners’ circle without dropping a set all week. pic.twitter.com/1q9NDyPgmg

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) 8. Juli 2018

“With this victory, I hope to get closer to a more appropriate [ATP Ranking], since I had stopped playing for some time,” said Brands. “It was a great tournament with a very challenging draw, but I believed in myself to the end. I congratulate Adrian, who put me in serious trouble especially in the first set.”

Brands fell outside the top 400 in 2015 after struggling with mononucleosis. He takes away from Italy €6,190 in prize money as well as 80 ATP ranking points. The current World No. 301 is projected to return to the Top 250 when the new ATP Rankings are released in a week. It was Brands’ seventh ATP Challenger career title.