Brouwer, Munar save MPs en route to Challenger title runs

Gijs Brouwer and Jaume Munar saved match points en route to lifting trophies this past week on the ATP Challenger Tour.

While the 28-year-old Brouwer advanced through qualifying and went all the way to claim his maiden Challenger title, Munar triumphed at that level for a record-extending eighth consecutive season.

The Dutchman Brouwer downed home favourite and former World No. 10 Lucas Pouille 6-4, 7-6(2) in Sunday’s Saint-Tropez Open final. Brouwer saved two match points in the quarter-finals against Benjamin Bonzi, who was the only player all week to take a set off the lefty.

“It feels unbelievable. I was really trying for years to get [a Challenger title] and now I finally have one. I’m super happy,” Brouwer said. “The key this week was the mentality, being good in my head, always staying positive throughout the week. I just kept playing and didn't think too much of the score. Just with a clean head every point and fight for every point.”

Munar, 27, won his 10th Challenger trophy at the Bad Waltersdorf Trophy in Austria. The top seed defeated Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-2, 6-1 in the final, a day after Munar fended off three match points to outlast American Nicolas Moreno De Alboran in the last four.

Jaume Munar is crowned champion at the Bad Waltersdorf Challenger. Credit: Bad Waltersdorf Trophy

In other Challenger action, Naoki Nakagawa survived an all-Japanese marathon final to be crowned champion at the Columbus Challenger. After three hours and 16 minutes, Nakagawa overcame James Trotter 7-6(8), 5-7, 7-6(5) to secure his maiden Challenger title.

Nakagawa, who upset top seed Christopher Eubanks in the quarter-finals, entered the week with a career 4-29 record in Challenger main-draw matches and had not won a main-draw match at that level since October 2023. Following his title run, the 27-year-old is up 94 spots in the PIF ATP Rankings to World No. 335, one spot shy of tying his career high.

Frenchman Valentin Royer won the BCR Sibiu Open in Romania, where he defeated countryman Luka Pavlovic 6-4, 6-0 in the final. The 23-year-old Royer, who was competing in his second Challenger final of the year, is up to a career-high World No. 182.

Argentine Juan Pablo Ficovich returned to the winners’ circle at the KIA Open in Cali, Colombia. The 27-year-old needed a deciding set in his first four matches before cruising past #NextGenATP Gonzalo Bueno 6-0, 6-4 in the title match. Ficovich avenged this past April’s Concepcion Challenger final loss to the 20-year-old.

Power pairs ?

Congrats to this week's doubles champions! #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/OBOZmPyuYv