"All the sacrifices paid off!": Ignacio Buse wins 2nd Challenger title in three months

On a sweltering Saturday evening in the heart of Andalusia, with temperatures still soaring above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), the spotlight turned to the Real Club de Tenis Betis. Under the floodlights and before a packed Center Court, fans were treated to a thrilling all-South American finale at the LXII Copa Sevilla. In the end, Peru’s Ignacio Buse rose to the occasion, defeating Argentina’s Genaro Alberto Olivieri 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to claim the title.

Buse, who had ousted four Spanish opponents en route to the championship match, imposed himself early with commanding baseline play, dictating rallies and seizing the opening set. But the momentum shifted late in the second set when the 21-year-old from Lima picked up a knock while attacking the net. After a medical timeout, Olivieri capitalized on the pause to level the contest and force a decider.

Unfazed, the World No. 135 steadied himself and rediscovered his rhythm in the final set. Leaning on his heavy groundstrokes and precise serving, Buse regained control of the match and, after two hours and 21 minutes, sealed victory beneath the Andalusian night sky.

“It’s amazing. I am so happy and can’t describe what happened today. All the sacrifices and the hard training paid off,” said Buse after lifting his second ATP Challenger Tour trophy, following his win at the chilly Neckarcup in Bad Rappenau in June. “You just have to adapt, that’s the most important thing,” the young Peruvian added.

As for his physical state, Buse reassured fans: “I feel good. I was scared but the physio told me that I was good. I will recover, and I think that I will be 100 per cent for sure. Now I will still celebrate with my team and then go back to competition next week.”

For his triumph in Seville, Buse collected €25,740 in prize money along with 125 valuable ATP Ranking points, continuing his surge up the rankings.

Read more: Ignacio Buse: The Peruvian talent who is breaking the mold

Darderi wins AON Open Challenger

Luciano Darderi etched his name into the history books of the AON Open Challenger – Memorial Giorgio Messina, clinching the ATP Challenger 125 title in Genoa with a total financial commitment of $208,400. Playing in front of a packed crowd of 2,000 spectators at the Centrale Beppe Croce stadium in Valletta Cambiaso, Darderi delivered a dominant performance in Sunday’s singles final, defeating fellow Italian Andrea Pellegrino 6-1, 6-3. For Pellegrino, it marked a second runner-up finish at the prestigious event after his appearance in the 2022 final.

“I really enjoyed this tournament,” said Darderi, who received his winner’s trophy from the Mayor of Genoa, Silvia Salis. “It was my first time playing here and it was truly a great experience: the courts were perfect, the level of play was very high, and the organization was excellent. Throughout the week it was such a pleasure to compete in front of so many fans. I want to thank them because their support really helped me.”

The 22-year-old, coached by his father Gino, also shared his ambitions after the victory:

From today I am inside the world’s Top 30. Step by step, I want to push into the Top 20 and earn a call-up for the Davis Cup. These are the goals I want to achieve.

Darderi captured his fourth ATP Challenger Tour career title in addition to his four triumphs on the ATP Tour. The World No. 34 earned €25,740 in prize money as well as 125 ATP Ranking points.

“This year’s edition has been truly spectacular,” said Mauro Iguera, President of the Organizing Committee. “Having a gem like Darderi in a Challenger 125 is something you rarely see, but we managed to bring him here. When there is quality work and strong teamwork, Genoa always responds in an extraordinary way. And we want to thank the sponsors who stand by our side year after year.”

Trungelliti triumphs in Tulln

With a commanding 7-5, 6-1 victory over Czech youngster Andrew Paulson, Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti capped off a spectacular week at the NÖ Open powered by EVN 2025. In front of 3,500 enthusiastic fans at TC Tulln, the 35-year-old lifted his fifth ATP Challenger singles trophy, rounding off a tournament that combined world-class tennis with an electric atmosphere.

The stage was set for a true tennis feast on this picture-perfect Sunday in Tulln, Austria. The sun was shining, the Center Court was immaculate, and two contrasting playing styles squared off. Trungelliti, seeded fourth and armed with 17 years of Tour experience and four previous Challenger titles, relied on his versatile all-court game and tactical nous. Across the net stood 23-year-old Paulson from Prague who has already collected 12 ATP Challenger doubles trophies. His explosive serving variations, bold returns and fearless net play had carried him into his maiden Challenger final, a career milestone in itself.

To reach the championship match, Trungelliti overcame Russia’s Ivan Gakhov, Croatia’s Luka Mikrut, Austria’s Sandro Kopp, and local hero Joel Schwaerzler in the semifinals, dropping just a single set along the way. Paulson’s path was equally impressive, battling past Jacopo Berrettini of Italy, Marco Topo from Germany, second-seeded Italian Francesco Maestrelli, and Argentina’s Santiago Rodriguez Taverna in a dramatic semifinal.

In the final, however, Trungelliti’s experience and consistency proved too much. After edging a close first set 7-5, the Argentine found another gear, racing through the second set 6-1 to secure the trophy in just under 90 minutes.

“It was a great week for me, but I think also for all the players. I want to thank everyone for the fantastic organization and hospitality," Trungelliti said. "Tonight, I will finally enjoy one of your schnitzels – maybe more than one, because I love them! But seriously, I am proud to win here at 35 years old. It shows that even in sports, you can still have goals later in your career. For me, that goal is to break into the Top 100 one day.”

The World No. 183 collected €20,630 in prize money as well as 100 ATP Ranking points.

Zeppieri returns to winners’ circle in Shanghai

In China, Giulio Zeppieri has captured his first title since 2023, triumphing at the Road to the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The 23-year-old Italian defeated Japan’s Yasutaka Uchiyama 7-6(2), 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final, sealing victory in one hour and 39 minutes. Zeppieri fired 17 aces and won 85 per cent of his first-serve points to claim his third ATP Challenger Tour trophy, along with $22,730 in prize money and 100 ATP Ranking points.

“It was a really good week for me,” Zeppieri said afterwards. “After so many tournaments and so much practice following my injury and surgery, this feels special. This is my first week in China. I spoke with [Jannik] Sinner during the US Open - he thought I might play well here. Thanks to him for giving me the motivation.”

Zeppieri also praised the organization in Shanghai. “All the stadiums for this Challenger are good. It may be the best Challenger,” he commented.

Looking ahead, the Italian already has his schedule set. “Next week I play in Guangzhou, and then Jingshan. After that maybe the Masters 1000,” he explained. On the possibility of receiving a Shanghai Masters wildcard, Zeppieri remained calm: “It’s great, but I don’t think about it too much now. I need to focus on the next tournaments and then get ready for the Masters 1000.”

Molcan claims Istanbul Challenger title

Alex Molcan was crowned champion of the Istanbul Challenger TED Open. The 27-year-old Slovakian, who entered the main draw of the hard-court event as an alternate, beat Nicola Mejia of Colombia 7-6(9), 6-2 two hours and 12 minutes in the singles final.

Molcan benefited in the first round from the retirement of Russian qualifier Ivan Nedelko and advanced to the championship match with wins over No. 3 seed Martin Landaluce from Spain, Abdullah Shelbayh of Jordan and Greek Stefanos Sakellaridis.

He earned his fourth ATP Challenger career title, his second of the season following his triumph in Sofia, Bulgaria last month. Molcan took away from Turkey a prize purse of $14,200 as well as 75 ATP Ranking points.

Harris lifts maiden Challenger trophy in Cassis

Following five triumphs on the ITF World Tennis Tour and at the age of 30, Briton Billy Harris captured his maiden Challenger title. The Nottingham native outlasted Danil Glinka of Estonia 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the singles final of the Cassis Open Provence by Cabesto in France.

Third-seeded Harris battled his way into the championship match of the €91,250 hard-court event with wins over Italian lucky loser Filippo Moroni, Eliakim Coulibaly from Cote d’Ivoire, local wild card entry Mae Malige and German qualifier Justin Engel.

The 151st-ranked Englishman withstood eight aces and broke Glinka’s serve two times to seal victory in two hours and nine minutes. Harris pocketed €12,980 in prize money as well as 75 ATP Ranking points.

Two surfaces, three continents – Challenger Tour continues

Challenger action continues this week with six tournaments across three continents.

🇵🇱 At the 32nd edition of the Invest Szczecin Open defending champion Vit Kopriva returns to the largest city of northwestern Poland as the top seed. The 89th-ranked Czech will face strong competition from Argentine Thiago Tirante, Italian Francesco Passaro and Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia, who all are seeking the title at the ATP 125 Challenger clay-court event.

🇮🇹 🇷🇴 More clay-court action is taking place this week in Europe, with tournaments staged in Biella, Italy, and Targu Mures, Romania. At the Città di Biella, Italy’s Stefano Travaglia leads the field, while in Romania, the Intaro Open sees Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti as the top seed.

🇫🇷 Meanwhile, the indoor season in Europe is also getting underway. At the Open Blot Rennes in France, home fans will be pinning their hopes on local favorite Hugo Gaston.

🇨🇳 🇺🇸 On hard courts, the season continues in Asia and the United States. At the Guangzhou Huangpu International Tennis Open in China, Australia’s Christopher O’Connell headlines the draw. In North Carolina, Argentina’s Juan Pablo Ficovich takes the top seeding at the Winston-Salem Challenger.