MASPALOMAS/STARNBERG, November 30, 2022
Besides the Maia Open in Portugal the second tournament in the final week of the 2022 ATP Challenger Tour is being held in Gran Canaria. The inaugural eó Hotels Maspalomas Challenger is taking place at the Conde Jackson Tennis Club. Maspalomas, part of the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, is a tourist resort in the south of the island of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands. It is in particular famous for its large sand dunes, which have been protected as a nature reserve since 1987.
Concepción Narváez, mayoress of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, said: “A tournament like this is a clear example that sport is much more than a healthy lifestyle. It is promotion, it is showing that in our municipality you can enjoy this weather in the middle of November and that we are a destination for active tourism.”
The final week of the 2022 season on the ATP Challenger Tour is underway in 🇮🇨 Gran Canaria with the inaugural EÓ Hotels Maspalomas Challenger.
📸: EÓ Hotels Maspalomas Challenger#ATPChallenger #Maspalomas @gctourism @turismogc @fedetenisgc pic.twitter.com/du07VAM49D
— TennisTourTalk (@TennisTourTalk) November 29, 2022
Lajovic makes winning start
Dusan Lajovic, top seed of the €45,730 clay-court event, opened his title bid with a solid 6-3, 6-4 first-round win on Tuesday over Russian qualifier Andrey Chepelev. The World No. 103 from Serbia converted three of his 15 break-point chances to secure victory in one hour and 44 minutes.
Lajovic will next take on Spanish qualifier Imanol Lopez Morillo, who rallied past Dutch veteran Robin Haase 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 50 minutes.
Third-seeded Czech Vit Kopriva benefited from the retirement of Javier Barranco Cosano of Spain. The World No. 152 was leading 6-2, 1-1 when Barranco Cosano was forced to stop playing due to illness. Kopriva will next oppose Tim Stodder of Germany, a 7-6(2), 6-7(8), 6-1 winner over Ukrainian qualifier Eric Vanshelboim. The encounter lasted two hours and 53 minutes.
In the bottom half of the draw, Moez Echargui of Tunisia battled past Italian alternate Edoardo Lavagno 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. The 29-year-old qualifier from La Marsa, who took the spot of the tournament’s second seed in the draw after the withdrawal from Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann due to a right elbow injury, won 54 per cent of the total points played to prevail after one hour and 56 minutes. Up next for Echargui will be Steven Diez of Canada.
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