GRAN CANARIA/STARNBERG, March 6, 2022
Gianluca Mager is the champion of the third edition of the €45,720 Gran Canaria Challenger hosted by the El Cortijo Club de Campo in Telde. The No. 2 seed from Italy beat the tournament’s top favourite and World No. 79 Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain 7-6(2), 6-2 in Sunday’s singles final.
Mager sent down four aces and capitalized on four of his nine break-point chances to seal victory in two hours and four minutes.
Gianluca #Mager gana la final contra Roberto Carballes Baena 7/6 6/2 🏆@GranCanariaTur | @ATPChallenger | @GranCanariaDep | #GranCanaria | #GranCanariaIslaEuropeadelDeporte pic.twitter.com/9EyhsovQUK
— MEF tennis events (@meftennisevents) March 6, 2022
“I needed a little luck to win the first set, then I managed to raise the level and I did it,” Mager said. “Overall, I am satisfied with my performance this week, considering that I didn’t practice much and have not played official matches due to the birth of my daughter.
“It’s wonderful. I can’t wait to go home to hug my girlfriend Valentine and little Vittoria.”
By winning his fifth ATP Challenger career title, his second on Spanish soil after Marbella in early April last year, Mager earned €6,190 in prize money as well as 80 ATP Ranking points.
Carballes Baena, who was born on the archipelago’s biggest island of Tenerife and was seeking his ninth Challenger trophy, pocketed €3,650 in prize money as well as 50 ATP Ranking points.
MEF Tennis Events to return to the Canary Islands later in the year
“It was a wonderful and emotional tournament with an Italian and a Spaniard in the final. We are happy to continue the collaboration with the Canary Islands that we started last year,” said Marcello Marchesini, president of MEF Tennis Events, the Italian organizers of the tournament.
“In June we will organize the ATP Challenger 125 in Perugia, then during the second week of Wimbledon there will be the historic appointment in Todi. Then, two more ATP 125 Challengers are coming up: one in early October, the other towards the end of the season again in Tenerife. We’ll have fun.”
