Virtanen, Marozsan Win Challenger Titles To Reach Career-Highs

After claiming their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles in 2022, Finland’s Otto Virtanen and Hungarian Fabian Marozsan returned to the winners’ circle this week and are each now at career-high marks within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Rankings.

Virtanen, 21, claimed the Lugano Challenger whereas Marozsan gained on the clay courts of Antalya, Turkey.

In Switzerland, Virtanen defeated Turkish qualifier Cem Ilkel 6-4, 7-6(5) within the remaining to gather the Challenger BancaStato Citta Di Lugano and climb to No. 139 within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Rankings.

A two-time Challenger titlist, Virtanen earned his first Challenger title this previous October when he superior by means of qualifying en path to successful the Bergamo Challenger.

The 23-year-old Marozsan dropped only one set all week to win the Megasaray Resorts Open. Within the championship match, the second seed downed Sebastian Ofner 7-5, 6-0.

After Marozsan’s maiden title in Banja Luka in August, the Budapest native has loved extra breakthrough moments on the Challenger Tour. The Hungarian No. 2 (behind Marton Fucsovics) was a finalist on the 2022 Bratislava Challenger and reached the ultimate 4 in Alicante. Following his triumph in Antalya, Marozsan rises to 134 within the Pepperstone ATP Stay Rankings.

On the Puerto Magico Open in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Benoit Paire captured his seventh Challenger title and first since November 2015. 4 of the Frenchman’s 5 matches went the space, together with within the first spherical, the place he fended off a match level to outlive Nicolas Mejia.

Benoit Paire is topped champion on the 2023 Puerto Vallarta Challenger. Credit score: Barbara Ramos Villalobos

Within the remaining, Paire rallied from a set right down to defeat Japan’s Yuta Shimizu 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

“It was an excellent week for me,” Paire stated. “Mentally I used to be prepared, I fought till the tip. The primary one was not simple, I used to be match level down. I’m actually glad about this week.”

On the Challenger Santiago – Copa Kia in Chile, Bolivian Hugo Dellien ousted Brazilian qualifier Thiago Seyboth Wild 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to assert his ninth Challenger title and third in Chile’s capital metropolis (2019, 2022).

Hugo Dellien collects the title on the Santiago Challenger. Credit score: Challenger Santiago – Copa Kia

In Dellien’s quarter-final match, the 29-year-old escaped a 3 hour, 36 minute marathon in opposition to seventh seed Franco Agamenone 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 7-6(5).

“I’m pleased with how I performed all week,” Dellien stated. “I knew it was going to be a tough remaining. I felt snug and superb bodily.

“For me it’s a pleasure to come back to Chile and really feel the love of the folks. It’s a very particular event. I’ve at all times executed nicely and I hope that each time I’ll return will probably be like this.”

from Tennis – ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/ryVqO82