Rodionov rallies to Koblenz Challenger title, hits career high

Jurij Rodionov won his seventh ATP Challenger Tour title on Sunday at the Koblenz Open in Germany, securing a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking following his triumph.

In a title match consisting of the top two seeds, Rodionov recovered to defeat American Brandon Nakashima 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-2. Despite letting slip a set point in the first-set tie-break, Rodionov weathered the storm to rally past the 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion after two hours, 27 minutes.

“I lost a very tight first set and then suddenly in the second set everything went in my direction,” Rodionov said. “I want to thank my team which supported me during the last couple of weeks and months.”

Last August, Rodionov cracked the Top 100 of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time, sneaking in at the final spot. Following his triumph at the indoor hard-court event, the 24-year-old rose to a career-high No. 89.

Nakashima, 22, came into the championship match having won 15 of his past 16 matches, including a title run at the Tenerife Challenger 1.

Also in Koblenz, Hazem Naw made history by becoming the first Syrian to win a main-draw match at the ATP Challenger Tour level. The 24-year-old, who grew up in the war-torn city Aleppo, advanced through qualifying en route to a dream semi-final run.

In other ATP Challenger Tour action, Patrick Kypson also hit a career-high ranking after winning the Cleveland Open. The 24-year-old American rallied past last year’s NCAA singles champion Ethan Quinn 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the final to lift his third Challenger crown, all of which have come in the past seven months.

“I’ve been able to stay consistently healthy, be consistent mentally day in and day out having a plan of what I’m trying to accomplish every day in practice and in matches,” Kypson said of his surge.

^{Patrick Kypson wins the Challenger 75 event in Cleveland, Ohio. Credit: Samuel Herr}

Kypson, who last month made his Australian Open debut as a wild card, earned the highest-ranked win of his career in the Cleveland semi-finals against World No. 98 James Duckworth. The former Texas A&M University standout propelled to a career-high No. 158 following his run in Ohio.

At the Brasil Tennis Challenger in Piracicaba, Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli captured his fifth title at that level when he ousted top seed and countryman Federico Coria 7-5, 6-4 in the final.

“I'm very happy,” Ugo Carabelli said in Spanish. “I came close to winning the title in Campinas, Brazil last year, but fortunately things worked out for me this week in Piracicaba. I enjoy playing in Brazil, the conditions are excellent.”

^{Camilo Ugo Carabelli and coach Carlos Berlocq after the Argentine won the Brasil Tennis Challenger. Credit: João Pires}

The 24-year-old Ugo Carabelli, who tallied a 33-18 Challenger-match record in 2023, did not drop a set en route to the Piracicaba trophy. His first title of the season comes three weeks after the Buenos Aires-native suffered a gruelling three-hour, 18-minute third-round qualifying loss at the Australian Open, where he was aiming to play his second major tournament.

Australian Omar Jasika returned to the winners’ circle for the first time since 2017 at the HCI Burnie International 1, where he also was crowned champion seven years ago.

En route to the Burnie title, Jasika ousted defending champion and World No. 74 Rinky Hijikata in the second round, marking the highest-ranked win of the 26-year-old’s career. The lefty overcame countryman Alex Bolt 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-3 in the final.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Jasika said. “Super special to be back here after so many years. To come back here with a bit more maturity is honestly an unbelievable feeling to win it again.”

Last month, Jasika advanced through qualifying at his home Slam before falling to ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz in the first round. It was his first major main-draw appearance since the 2017 Australian Open.

^{Omar Jasika defeats Alex Bolt to win the Burnie Challenger title. Credit: Tennis Australia}