SAO PAULO, November 23, 2015
For the fifth time the ATP Challenger Tour Finals take centre stage, starting on Wednesday at the Pinheiros Sports Club in Sao Paulo. The field is comprised of seven qualified players and one wild card, contesting in round robin format with the two from each group advancing to the semi-finals. An undefeated champion will take away US-$ 91,200 in prize money as well as 125 ATP ranking points.
Paolo Lorenzi
World number 68 Paolo Lorenzi will lead the field. The 33-year-old Italian entered the 300 match wins club on the ATP Challenger Tour this season, joining Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo and Yen-Hsun Lu. Lorenzi is tied with Hyeon Chung, winning the most Challenger titles in 2015. The Rome resident lifted the trophies in Eskisehir, Cortina, Pereira and Medellin. “I have good memories of Sao Paulo,” told Lorenzi, who is making his second appearance at the season finale after 2012. “I like the city. Last time it was on hard courts and this time on indoor clay, so I hope to play better.”
Guido Pella was runner-up in Heilbronn
Second highest ranked player is Guido Pella. The current world number 78 from Argentina defeated Adrian Ungur in the Challenger Tours final in 2012. In 2015, he posted a 4-1 record in the finals, taking the clay court titles in San Luis Potosi, Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre and Montevideo. He finished runner-up at the Neckar Cup in Heilbronn.
Read: Guido Pella runner-up at Neckar Cup in Heilbronn
Inigo Cervantes reached the Challenger final in Fürth this season
With Daniel Munoz de la Nava and Inigo Cervantes two Spaniards join the field. First mentioned clinched three ATP Challenger titles in Napoli, Moscow and Meknes and broke into the top 100 for the first time this year. Cervantes was successful in Ostrava, Vicenza and Marburg.
Read: Inigo Cervantes captures his second ATP Challenger title of the season in Vicenza
Farrukh Dustov gained his fourth ATP Challenger title winning Wrolaw Open
Brazilian wild card Guilherme Clezar, Turin Challenger champion Marco Cecchinato, world number 121 Radu Albot, who lifted the Challenger trophy in Kolkata and world number 162 Farrukh Dustov, who triumphed in Wroclaw and Agri this season, complete the elite eight.
