"A special place in my heart!": Lukas Klein triumphs in San Marino

Lukas Klein captured the crown at the 32nd edition of the Internazionali di Tennis San Marino Open, delivering a dominant week of clay-court tennis. The 27-year-old Slovak triumphed in the final of the ATP Challenger 125 event, overcoming Croatia’s Dino Prizmic 6-3, 6-4 in just 88 minutes. It marked Klein’s fourth Challenger title, and his first since winning in Ortisei, Italy at the end of 2023.

Under the watchful eyes of a packed crowd, including San Marino’s heads of state Denise Bronzetti and Italo Righi, Klein played powerful, consistent tennis with nerves of steel. En route to the title, he knocked out top seed Valentin Royer, seventh seed Lukas Neumayer, and local favorite Matteo Gigante. In the final, despite a fast start from 20-year-old Prizmic, one of the Next Gen’s brightest prospects, Klein quickly found his rhythm with a break-back, then took control of the match with low, fast groundstrokes that left his opponent little time to react. He sealed the first set 6-3.

Klein secured an early break in the second and never looked back. Prizmic fought hard and reached 15-30 at 3-4, but Klein stayed composed and served out the match. The win earned him 125 ATP points and pushed him 40 spots up the rankings to World No. 147.

“It’s been a fantastic week! The atmosphere on court was amazing, thanks to all the fans,” Klein said during the trophy ceremony. “This title means a lot. San Marino will always have a place in my heart. I hope I can come back next year!”

Mérida’s moment in Pozoblanco

In Southern Spain, it was a career breakthrough for Daniel Mérida, who claimed his first ATP Challenger title at the Open Ciudad de Pozoblanco Covap – Memorial Fabián Dorado. The 21-year-old from Madrid defeated China’s Fajing Sun 6-3, 6-4 in 86 minutes, earning 75 ATP points and a spot in the US Open qualifying draw.

It was also the first Spanish triumph at the Andalusian event since Roberto Bautista Agut in 2012. After a slow start, Mérida broke in the second game. Sun answered with a break of his own, and the match quickly turned into a return battle, producing thrilling rallies and multiple breaks.

After saving several break points and missing a set point by mere inches, Mérida converted a crucial opportunity with a blistering backhand winner to take the first set 6-3 in 40 minutes.

Mérida opened the second set with a love break and went up 2-0. Despite some resistance from Sun, who broke back and held for a 3-2 lead, the Spaniard responded with poise. He held serve to love, then broke again with another signature backhand return. He stayed firm from there, closing the match 6-4 with an inside-out forehand winner on his third match point.

Along with the 75 ATP Ranking points, Mérida collected $15,192 in prize money, while finalist Sun earned 44 points and $8,916.

Choinski clinches Dutch Open title

In Bunschoten, Netherlands, Jan Choinski emerged victorious at the Dutch Open Tournament. The fifth seed beat unseeded Belgian Kimmer Coppejans 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a closely contested final that lasted one hour and 55 minutes.

Born in Koblenz, Germany, Choinski represents Great Britain on the tour. He won five more points than his opponent overall and secured his fifth Challenger title, and his second of the season after winning in Troyes, France.

Holmgren halts Canadian charge in Granby

August Holmgren of Denmark denied a home victory for Liam Draxl at the Granby National Bank Championships in Canada, securing a convincing 6-3, 6-3 win. The sixth seed was in fine form, needing only two sets to capture the ATP Challenger 75 hard-court title.

For 23-year-old Draxl, it was a second consecutive Challenger final after winning in Winnipeg the week prior. He had also recently earned a main draw spot at the National Bank Open in Toronto by winning the Road to the NBO competition.

Holmgren arrived in Granby full of confidence, following a career-best run at Wimbledon where he reached the third round after qualifying for his first Grand Slam and upsetting Tomas Machac. The Granby title confirms Holmgren’s excellent form, with his all-court game continuing to impress. He now stands at a career-high World No. 146.

World-class tennis in Zug

The ATP Challenger Tour continues this week with four events across two continents. In Switzerland, the Dialectic Zug Open returns for its fourth edition, with Hungary’s Zsombor Piros as top seed. Swiss hope Marc-Andrea Huesler is seeded second, while Calvin Hemery and Harold Mayot of France round out the favorites.

Special attention will be on 18-year-old Henry Bernet from Basel, the reigning Australian Open junior champion and former Junior World No. 1, a status achieved previously only by Martina Hingis, Belinda Bencic, and Roger Federer from Switzerland. Bernet is returning from a rib injury that sidelined him for months and is making his comeback at the TennisClub Zug.

Also in the main draw are last week’s champions Lukas Klein and Daniel Mérida.

Tournament co-director Gaston Della Casa promises a memorable week: “We aim to cement the Dialectic Zug Open’s reputation as a boutique summer Challenger event - top tennis, close fan engagement, laid-back summer vibes, and exciting night sessions. The elegance of tennis meets apéro culture and buzzing DJ beats at Tennis Club Zug.”

Tradition continues in Tampere

The Tampere Open remains one of the most storied stops on the Challenger Tour. First held in 1982, the Finnish clay-court event is now in its 43rd edition, making it the longest-running uninterrupted Challenger tournament in the world.

This year, top seed Jay Clarke from Great Britain leads the field, followed by Belgium’s Gauthier Onclin, defending champion Daniel Rincon from Spain, and Kazakhstan’s Dmitry Popko.

Hard-court action in Segovia and Bloomfield Hills

The hard-court swing in Spain continues this week with the XXXIX Open Castilla y León Villa de El Espinar in Segovia. Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic is the top seed, joined by strong contenders Hugo Grenier, Arthur Bouquier of France and Aziz Dougaz from Tunisia.

Across the Atlantic, the Cranbrook Tennis Classic in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, features a solid lineup led by Nishesh Basavareddy of the United States as the top seed. He’ll be challenged by Shintaro Mochizuki of Japan, Belgian Alexander Blockx and fellow US-American Christopher Eubanks in the ATP Challenger 100 event.