STOCKTON, October 6, 2018
The doubles final of the $100,000 Stockton Challenger is set, with the top-seeded duo Sanchai Ratiwatana and Christopher Rungkat squaring off against Noah Rubin and Darian King on Saturday at the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center. The semi-finals field was also set for singles as top-seed Jordan Thompson, Lloyd Harris, Marc Polmans and Maxime Janvier moved one step closer to the finals, which take place on Sunday.
In the first match on Friday, No. 4 seed Lloyd Harris had his work cut out for him against US-American Christopher Eubanks. In the opening set, Harris won two games in a row to tie the set and force a tie-break situation where he fell 7-6(6). However, the 21-year-old South African found a way to pull out the second set, 6-4, to force the third. In the deciding third set, Harris claimed a 6-3 victory over Eubanks, behind an 84 per cent first serve rate.
No. 8 seed Marc Polmans was the second player to claim a spot in the semi-finals, after falling in the first set 4-6, to Liam Broady from Great Britian.Polmans then made quick work of Broady in sets two and three, 6-4, 6-2, to advance move on in the tournament.
Jordan Thompson battled through three sets with sixth seeded US-American Noah Rubin to earn his spot in the stage of the final four. Thompson dropped in set one, 6-7(4), but claimed set two 7-6(2). In the third set tied at three games apiece, the World No. 106 from Australia won the next three in a row to end the match, 6-3.
Maxime Janvier was the final competitor to claim the last spot of the semi-finals with a three-set match victory over Darian King. Janvier pulled out the first set, 7-5 but fell in set two, 7-5. In the deciding third set, Janvier trailed 5-2 and won three games in a row to tie the set at 5-5 before claiming the victory 7-6(3).
Doubles final set
After playing singles matches, Noah Rubin and Darian King teamed up for their first doubles match and battled through a two-set tiebreak to defeat Hans Hach Verdugo and Andreas Siljestrom 3-6, 6-4, 10-6. With not much of a break, King and Ruben played a second match, fighting through tiredness, to defeat Sem Verbeek and partner Marc Polmans 6-1, 4-6, 10-8, to advance and take the third semi-final position.
Top-seeded duo Sanchai Ratiwatana and Christopher Rungkat squared off against the four-seeded duo Toshihide Matsui and Frederik Nielsen. Ratiwatana and Rungkat dropped the first set, 7-5, but claimed the second set with ease at 6-1 to force a 10-point tiebreak, where they finished 10-8 to claim a spot in the finals.
After playing doubles matches, Rubin and King turned right around to play their doubles match against Harri Heliovaara and Henri Laaksonen. Through the tiredness, Rubin and King prevailed over Heliovaara and Laaksonen with ease in two sets 6-4, 6-4.
Friday, October 5– RESULTS
Main Draw Singles – Quarterfinals
(4) Lloyd Harris (RSA) def. Christopher Eubanks (USA) 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-3
(8) Marc Polmans (AUS) def. Liam Broady (GBR) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
(1) Jordan Thompson (AUS) def. (6) Noah Rubin (USA) 6-7 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-3
Maxime Janvier (FRA) def. Darian King (BAR) 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (3)
Main Draw Doubles – Semifinals
(1) Sanchai Ratiwatana (THA) – Christopher Rungkat (INA) def. (4) Toshihide Matsui (JPN) – Frederik Nielsen (DEN) 5-7, 6-1, 10-8
Darian King (BAR) – Noah Rubin (USA) def. Harri Heliovaara (FIN) – Henri Laaksonen (SUI) 6-4, 6-4
