DRUMMONDVILLE, October 28, 2022 (Tennis Canada Press Release)
The list of players for the seventh edition of the Drummondville National Bank Challenger was unveiled on Thursday during the pre-tournament press conference. The event, which saw its 2021 edition cancelled due to the pandemic, will make its comeback from November 14 to 20, 2022, at the René-Verrier Indoor Tennis Club in Drummondville, Quebec.
“We are so excited about the return of the Challenger this year,” said Alain Caillé, president of the event’s organizing committee. “Drummondville is a fantastic tennis town that has allowed many of today’s great players to make their mark on the professional circuit. We can think in particular of Denis Shapovalov who won in 2017 or Quebecer Félix Auger-Aliassime, who became the youngest player to qualify for the main draw of a tournament of this level in 2015. We’re looking forward to seeing what the competition has in store for us this time around, because one way or another, it will make history in its own way.”
Pospisil, Galarneau and Diallo already confirmed for the big dance
Currently, three Canadians are guaranteed to play in the main draw of the Drummondville National Bank Challenger. First up is Vasek Pospisil (Vernon, BC), who will likely be the tournament’s third seed. The 32- year-old has won 10 Challenger titles in his career and will be looking to capture his second Challenger title this year after winning in Quimper, France, in January. In recent weeks, the Canadian has made several leaps up the ATP rankings, jumping from No. 149 to No. 123 since the end of September. This rise is the result of several excellent performances, including a quarter-final appearance at the ATP 250 tournament in Tel Aviv, Israel, a semi-final finish at the Challenger Series event in Ismaning, Germany, and a loss in the finals of the Open de Vendée Challenger.
Pospisil will also have the chance to count on the presence of two of his compatriots in Drummondville: Alexis Galarneau (Laval, QC) and Gabriel Diallo (Montreal, QC). Galarneau, 23, has been steadily climbing the ATP rankings this season. He currently sits at No. 225 after closing out 2021 at No. 379. Like Pospisil, he has also had a strong showing so far in October, making the semi-finals of the Tiburon Challenger and the quarter-finals of the Fairfield Challenger. In Drummondville, he will be looking to capture his second ATP Challenger Tour title, having already won the top prize at the Fayetteville tournament in 2020.
As for Diallo, the youngest player of the trio at 21 years old, he is currently ranked No. 250 in the world. He’s enjoyed an excellent season and exceeded his personal objectives, winning his first two professional titles in Granby (Challenger level) and East Lansing (ITF M25 level). He will arrive in Drummondville with a lot of confidence, having just reached the final at the Fairfield Challenger last week and he remains in
the running for the Las Vegas Challenger title this week.
“The Drummondville National Bank Challenger is an incredible platform to showcase our Canadian talent and the presence of Vasek, Alexis and Gabriel will continue this faithful tradition. We look forward to seeing them on the courts, especially since they will be competing against a great group of players which promises matches that will be more than entertaining,” added Francis Milloy, tournament director.
“Fans can also expect more Canadian players to be invited into the main draw of the tournament as we announce our wildcards in the coming days.”
In addition to the Canadians, the Drummondville National Bank Challenger will feature five Top 200 players, a list that includes top-seeded Emilio Gomez of Ecuador, American Michael Mmoh and Germany’s Dominik Koepfer. Like Pospisil, who has already ranked as high as No. 25 in the world, these three players have all been in the Top 100 at some point in their careers (Gomez – No. 98; Mmoh – No. 96; Koepfer – No. 50) and therefore should not be underestimated on the court.
To view the complete list of players, click here.
