PORTOROZ, August 11, 2019

The ATP Challenger Tour returns to Portoroz for the seventh edition of the Zavarovalnica Sava Slovenia Open. Next week’s hard-court event is the biggest tennis tournament in Slovenia and offers a total prize money of €46,600.

Currently sitting at World No. 91, Aljaz Bedene is the country’s highest-ranked player on the ATP Tour. He will be the top seed at the Adriatic seaside resort. After a first-round bye, the 30-year-old Ljubljana native will take on the winner of the match between Hugo Nys from Monaco and Illya Marchenko of the Ukraine.

No. 2 seed Lorenzo Giustino of Italy awaits either Croatian wild card entry Zvonimir Oreskovic, who is making his debut at ATP Challenger level, or a qualifier. The tournament’s No. 3 will be another local favourite in person of Blaz Rola. The 28-year-old from Ptuj will open his home campaign against the winner of the encounter between Russian veteran Teymuraz Gabashvilli and Edan Lesham from Israel.

Return of the former champions

2017 champion Sergiy Stakhovsky will be seeded fourth. The World No. 142 from the Ukraine will play in the second round either French ITF-entry Tom Jomby or Alessandro Bega from Italy. With defending champion Constant Lestienne from France and Italy’s Luca Vanni, winner in 2015, two more former title holders will return to Portoroz.

Blaz Kavcic, who is competing on clay at the ATP Challenger in Cordenons, Italy this week, and Grega Zemlja have been the only two Slovenians so far to clinch the trophy on home soil. They won the tournament’s first two editions.

For full singles main draw, please click here.