Brilliant Ignacio Buse claims first ATP Challenger Tour title

Last week offered a rare spectacle on the Tour, as tournaments unfolded across all three tennis surfaces – grass, clay, and hard – at the same time.

 

© Elias Hoh Media/Neckarcup

The Neckarcup has written many memorable chapters in its ten-year history in Heilbronn, Germany, but the debut edition in Bad Rappenau topped them all. Despite April-like weather in June, numerous rain delays, and a great deal of improvisation, organizers, players, and fans demonstrated true Challenger spirit. And they were rewarded on finals Sunday: Just before nightfall, Ignacio Buse celebrated his first title on the ATP Challenger Tour – a perfect conclusion to an unforgettable tournament week.

Cool, focused, and composed under pressure, the 21-year-old Peruvian defeated Guy den Ouden from the Netherlands 7–5, 7–5 in 96 minutes on the Hörtkorn Centre Court. Buse converted three of his six break points with icy precision.

“This is such an important success for me. I’ve worked very hard for this,” Buse said emotionally afterward. “It wasn’t an easy week with the weather, but I stayed calm and today I’m just happy. We hardly expected to finish the final today. But somehow the sun came out again and we were able to get back on court.

It was a week I will never forget. Despite all the rain, it was a great experience, especially because I got to share it with so many wonderful people.

Due to the late finish, Buse missed his planned return flight to Barcelona, but that didn’t dampen the joy: He was still able to properly celebrate with his coach from the TEC Carles Ferrer Salat Academy. A winner’s check of €20,630 and 100 valuable ATP Ranking points added to the celebration.

“We’ll celebrate for sure!” Ignacio Busa wins first Challenger title

Kirkov/Stevens Triumph in Doubles

In the doubles final, the top-seeded German duo of Jakob Schnaitter and Mark Wallner once again fell short of the title. Already last year, the Bavarians had lost in the final to Romain Arneodo and Geoffrey Blancaneaux. At the inaugural edition in Bad Rappenau, they were beaten by Vasil Kirkov and Bart Stevens. The US-American-Dutch combination won 7–6(5), 4–6, 10–7 after one hour and 34 minutes of play.

For Kirkov, it was his ninth title on the ATP Challenger Tour, while Stevens celebrated his eleventh. Together, it was their third title as a team, and their second of the season after winning the Wuxi Open in China in May.

“Like last year, the match tie-break slipped away from us. But Vasil played outstanding today,” Wallner commented afterward.

Kirkov addressed the crowd directly: “Thank you for staying until the end. You made the tournament something truly special.”

Dellien Wins Czech Open in Prostejov

Bolivian Hugo Dellien has claimed the title at the Unicredit Czech Open. The No. 4 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 100 tournament in Prostejov defeated fifth-seeded Chun-Hsin Tseng of Chinese Taipei 6–3, 6–4 in Saturday’s singles final.

Dellien fought his way through the top half of the draw, overcoming Frenchman Matteo Martineau, Czech wild card Maxim Mrva, Bulgarian Dimitar Kuzmanov, and Ukrainian Vitaliy Sachko. The world No. 90 saved both break points he faced and converted two of his four chances to seal the victory after one hour and 32 minutes.

“It was a wonderful week for me. I felt good from the first day and improved with every match,” Dellien said. “I had great respect for my opponent before the final. He hadn’t lost a single set on his way to the final. It was an even match with the better ending for me.”

With the triumph, the 31-year-old from Trinidad celebrated his 14th ATP Challenger Tour carer title, his first of the season. Along with 100 ATP Ranking points, Dellien earned €20,630 in prize money.

Virtanen Opens Grass Season in Birmingham

The 2025 edition of the Lexus Birmingham Open officially kicked off the British grass-court season and delivered a historic highlight: Finland’s Otto Virtanen secured the title with a confident 6–4, 6–4 victory over US-American Colton Smith, writing a significant chapter in Finnish tennis history.

The 22-year-old claimed his seventh ATP Challenger Tour title, becoming just the second Finnish man ever to win a title on grass – and the first in 25 years.

On his way to the title, Virtanen defeated strong opponents in Aleksandar Vukic, Marc-Andrea Huesler, Cameron Wong, and Brandon Holt.

“It feels amazing playing on grass. I don’t think we have a single grass court in Finland… I have always liked the surface and enjoyed playing on it. It’s a classic style and it suits my game,” said Virtanen.

“It was a good match from my side. He put me in a tough situation and I had to do my best on the very important points.”

Despite the loss, finalist Colton Smith was thrilled with his experience in Birmingham:

“I don’t know how to sum the week up. Its been incredible. Everyone involved in the tournament has been unbelievable and done an incredible job. I want to thank the city of Birmingham for coming out to support. Definitely been an unforgettable week for me. Looking forward to keep building from here”.

“I’m happy to be in the final. All props to Otto, that serve is a joke. Had a tough time getting my racket on it. Look forward to the rest of the grass court season”.

Wu Makes Impressive Comeback

Across the Atlantic, the ATP Challenger Tour was in action on hard courts. Yibing Wu captured the title at the Texas Spine and Joint Men’s Championship, defeating compatriot Yi Zhou 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 in the final – in just his third tournament of the year following an injury break.

Wu fired eight aces and won 76 per cent of his first-serve points to secure the victory after two hours and eight minutes of play.

Wu, who had already made waves by winning the Dallas Open on the ATP Tour in 2023, celebrated his sixth Challenger title.

🇬🇧 Grass Court Action Continues in Ilkley

The ATP Challenger Tour heads into a new week in full force, with five tournaments across three continents. Grass-court fans will turn their attention to the historic Lexus Ilkley Trophy. The ATP Challenger 125 event is hosted at the Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club, which boasts a proud history spanning more than 145 years.

The top four seeds are Kamil Majchrzak of Poland, US-American Brandon Holt, Billy Harris from Great Britain, and former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic of Croatia.

🇮🇹 Clay Court Season Continues in Perugia

On mainland Europe, the clay-court season continues at the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia | G.I.Ma. Tennis Cup. After Hugo Dellien withdrew due to fatigue, Chun-Hsin Tseng of Taiwan is now the highest-ranked player in the field. Italy’s Luca Nardi and Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic are also among the top contenders.

Special attention will be on Francesco Passaro, who will be playing in his hometown of Perugia and is expected to be highly motivated. Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka joins the draw as a wildcard.

Bratislava, Lyon, and Santa Fe Complete the Week

🇸🇰 Alexander Shevchenko leads the field at the Bratislava Open. Also competing in the Slovak capital are Chile’s Tomas Barrios Vera, Portugal’s Jaime Faria, and France’s Valentin Royer.

🇫🇷 At the Open Sopra Steria in Lyon, former top-10 star Pablo Carreno Busta returns to action. He will face competition from Denmark’s Elmer Moller and local Frenchmen Arthur Cazaux and Kylian Jacquet.

🇦🇷 Meanwhile, the tour heads to South America for the AAT Challenger Santander Edición Santa Fe in Argentina. Top seed Alvaro Guillen Meza of Ecuador is the favorite. Also seeded are Argentinians Santiago Rodriguez Taverna and Andrea Collarini, as well as Brazil’s Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida.

ATP Challenger Tour

No glamour, no VIP lounges: Just pure tennis drama at the Roma Garden Open

Set in southeastern Rome, this event is a textbook example of what makes an ATP Challenger tournament special.

ByFlorian Heer

Published Jun 25, 2025

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The Tennis Club Garden in Rome isn’t the place for grand stage shows or glitzy presentations. Instead, the venue sits directly under a flight path, where Ryanair planes approach nearby Ciampino Airport every fifteen minutes.

The hum of low-flying aircraft is part of the unmistakable atmosphere at the Roma Garden Open—a tournament that, since 2002 (with the exception of the pandemic year 2020), has offered nothing but pure tennis.

A True Challenger Experience

The Roma Garden Open is a textbook example of what defines an ATP Challenger tournament: little glamour, no spotlight—just high-level, authentic tennis in a close-knit environment. At this event, the sport takes center stage, not the spectacle. The emotional Roman crowd adds to the vibrant atmosphere around the grounds.

The Roma Garden Open is a textbook example of what defines an ATP Challenger tournament: little glamor, no spotlight—just high-level, authentic tennis in a close-knit environment.

With ticket prices at just €10 ($11.50), fans can enjoy matches up close and personal. Due to a lack of parking spaces, visitors typically abandon their cars in a long line along the adjacent country road and walk the remaining distance to the venue.

Don’t expect the professional infrastructure media representatives enjoy on the ATP Tour. A press center? Nowhere to be found. Reliable Wi-Fi? Not here. But if you’re lucky, you might score a spot at the small café on-site—home to one precious power outlet.

Charming improvisation is part of what gives this tournament its distinctive character.

Despite its modest surroundings, the Roma Garden Open has produced an impressive list of past champions over the years. This year, home favorite Matteo Gigante lifted the trophy.

© Instagram @matteogigantee

A List of Notable Champions

Despite its modest surroundings, the Roma Garden Open has produced an impressive list of past champions over the years. Players such as Argentina’s Federico Delbonis, Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz, Britain’s Kyle Edmund, and Italy’s Marco Cecchinato all laid the groundwork for later success here. This year, it was home favorite Matteo Gigante who lifted the trophy.

“For me, the tournament at the Tennis Club Garden was always special because it took place one week before the ATP Masters 1000 event at the Foro Italico,” Challenger legend Paolo Lorenzi is quoted as saying in the tournament magazine. “I used it to prepare for the most important tennis event in Italy.” Over the course of his career, the Roman claimed 21 titles on the Challenger Tour. While the Roma Garden Open wasn’t among them, Lorenzi always relished competing there.

“Being supported by the passionate crowd gave me strength in both singles and doubles. It’s a date not to be missed—also because of Pancho, whose experience and kindness always made you feel right at home.”

“The tournament at the Tennis Club Garden was always special because it took place one week before the ATP Masters 1000 event at the Foro Italico,” says Challenger legend Paolo Lorenzi.

Tennis Up Close

Just behind the stands of Court No. 1 and next to the players’ area, older gentlemen are playing cards. The vibe is relaxed, reminiscent of a time when tennis felt more immediate—closer to the players, more direct in its emotional impact.

Here, professionals fight for valuable ranking points in every round and strive for the next breakthrough in their careers, all under the eyes of a crowd that shares their love for the game.

The Roma Garden Open clearly proves one thing: tennis doesn’t need floodlights, sky-cams, or VIP lounges to make an impact. Sometimes all it takes is a few humble courts in southeastern Rome, players giving their all—and a setting steeped in authenticity to bring the true spirit of the sport to life.