STARNBERG, January 23, 2021
Two Frenchmen will compete in Sunday’s championship match of the € 132,280 Istanbul Indoor Challenger held at the Ted Sports Club in Istanbul, Turkey. Arthur Rinderknech will face Benjamin Bonzi for the first singles title of the 2021 season on the ATP Challenger Tour.
In the stage of the final four, Bonzi defeated Mohamed Safwat of Egypt 7-6(1), 6-4. The 24-year-old Nimes native fired 11 aces and won 73 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after one hour and 53 minutes.
Later on Saturday, Rinderknech, a winner of two ATP Challengers on home soil in Rennes and Calgary, Canada last year, knocked off No. 7 seed Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia 7-5, 6-4. The qualifier from Paris converted four of his nine break-point chances to advance after one hour and 43 minutes.
Bonzi and Rinderknech will meet for the first time. The latter is seeking his third ATP Challenger career title. Following 11 triumphs on the ITF World Tennis Tour, Bonzi could lift his maiden Challenger trophy.
Goransson/Pel take doubles title
In other action, Andre Goransson of Sweden and David Pel from the Netherlands took the doubles title. The No. 2 seeds rallied from a set down to overcome Lloyd Glasspool from Great Britain and Harri Heliovaara of Finland 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. The encounter lasted one hour and 21 minutes.
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