ORTISEI, September 29, 2018

Two decades of professional tennis in Val Gardena. This will be celebrated in a big way during this year’s edition of the €64,000 ATP Challenger event at the Tennis Club Ortisei. The Sparkasse Val Gardena Challenger is taking place from 6 to 14 October 2018.

Four top 100 players are part of this year’s line-up, led by World No. 68 Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France. Defending champion Lorenzo Sonego from Itay will also return to the main village of Val Gardena. The 23-year-old lifted his maiden Challenger trophy on home soil last year.

Entry list

01 068 Herbert, Pierre-Hugues (FRA)
02 077 Lacko, Lukas (SVK)
03 082 Munar, Jaume (ESP)
04 083 Kovalik, Jozef (SVK)
05 090 Sonego, Lorenzo (ITA)
06 103 Berankis, Ricardas (LTU)
07 108 Humbert, Ugo (FRA)
08 120 Maden, Yannick (GER)
09 122 Zopp, Jurgen (EST)
10 133 Novak, Dennis (AUT)
11 136 Halys, Quentin (FRA)
12 141 Robert, Stephane (FRA)
13 145 Stakhovsky, Sergiy (UKR)
14 147 Bolelli, Simone (ITA)
15 155 Barrere, Gregoire (FRA)
16 164 Moraing, Mats (GER)
17 166 Bachinger, Matthias (GER)
18 167 Lestienne, Constant (FRA)
19 168 Caruso, Salvatore (ITA)
20 170 Vanni, Luca (ITA)
21 181 Gombos, Norbert (SVK)
22 192 Hoang, Antoine (FRA)

“We are very pleased that many players who have been here and played well, come back. This means that they felt comfortable with us,” says tournament director Ambros Hofer.

Wild card for local favourite

The first main draw wild card has been awarded to local youngster Jannik Sinner. The 17-year-old is currently ranked World No. 872. “He is the biggest tennis talent in South Tyrol,” Hofer comments. The Italian Tennis Federation will award the remaining three wild cards.

The doubles final will be played on Saturday evening, October 13. The singles final will be played on Sunday, October 14 at 2pm local time. The champion will earn €9,200 in prize money as well as 90 ATP-Ranking points.