Hot As Arizona! Phoenix Challenger Draws Star-Studded Field

February 21, 2023

in Tennis

Reading Time: 2 mins read

Phoenix, Arizona is thought to be scorching sizzling. And subsequent month, the ATP Challenger Tour will convey the warmth to the Arizona Tennis Traditional, the primary occasion of the newly created Challenger 175 class.

Six Prime-50 gamers are set to play the Phoenix Challenger, which begins March 13. Foremost-draw motion will kick off following the third spherical of the BNP Paribas Masters in Indian Wells. A number of high-ranked gamers who lose early on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion are anticipated to play in Phoenix earlier than persevering with onto Miami to finish the ‘Sunshine Double’.

Gamers who will compete in Phoenix until they’re nonetheless alive within the Indian Wells draw, embody Botic Van de Zandschulp, Sebastian Baez, Richard Gasquet, Jack Draper, Marc-Andrea Huesler, and Alexander Bublik.

Van de Zandschulp, World No. 34, is the highest-ranked participant within the Phoenix discipline. In 2022, the Dutchman earned a career-best 38 tour-level wins, together with victories over Cameron Norrie, Taylor Fritz, and Bublik to assist his house nation qualify for the Davis Cup Finals knock-out stage.

No person completed 2022 with a greater profitable proportion on the Challenger Tour this previous season than Nice Britain’s Draper. The 21-year-old boasted a 24-4 Challenger match-winning document in and picked up a season-leading 4 Challenger titles (tied w/ Pedro Cachin, who may even be in Phoenix): Forli-2, Forli-4, Forli-5, and Saint-Brieuc. The lefty, who has since reached the semi-finals of two ATP 250 occasions (Eastbourne & Adelaide-2), will return to the Challenger circuit in Arizona.

Jiri Lehecka, who was a quarter-finalist on the 2023 Australian Open, may even compete in Arizona. A 3-time Challenger titlist, the Czech was a finalist on the 2022 Subsequent Gen ATP Finals, which showcases the world’s greatest 21-and-under gamers.

Chinese language star and World No. 61 Wu Yibing, who received the 2023 Dallas Open, may even be in motion on the outside hard-court occasion. The 23-year-old received a trio of Challenger titles in 2022 earlier than turning into the primary tour-level titlist from China.

Did You Know?Phoenix Challenger entrants Benjamin Bonzi and Sebastian Baez every claimed six Challenger titles in 2021. Solely Tallon Griekspoor has collected extra Challenger titles in a single season (eight, 2021).