Year-End Top 100 At Stake On ATP Challenger Tour

The tennis season is set for a thrilling conclusion with all eyes on The O2 in London for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. But the captivating drama isn’t limited to the top eight players in the world.

The ATP Challenger Tour season is hurtling towards a frantic finish, with players fighting for position in the Emirates ATP Rankings going into 2017. Securing year-end Top 100 spots is of particular importance for those eyeing direct entry into ATP World Tour events next season.

There are four tournaments in four continents this week on the ATP Challenger Tour, with an additional three to conclude the season next week. #NextGen stars Daniil Medvedev, Yoshihito Nishioka, Hyeon Chung, Frances Tiafoe and Jared Donaldson are all clustered within 11 spots of each other in the Emirates ATP Rankings, with the latter four on the cusp of returning to the Top 100.

Medvedev made his Top 100 debut at No. 98 on Monday after reaching the semi-finals in Bratislava, while Chung has catapulted to No. 104 following his title run in Kobe, Japan. The Korean is back on the rise after returning from injury, winning 20 of 23 Challenger matches since September. “I am looking forward to playing in Toyota and hopefully finish 2016 back inside the Top 100,” he said.

With no points to defend through the end of the year, Donaldson is looking to build on his No. 109 standing. As has always been his mantra, the American is trusting in the process, but the taste of breaking into the Top 100 in September is driving him to return there.

“It’s important and I feel like it’s just as important to get into the main draw of the Australian Open and ATP World Tour events early next year. Top 100 will get me there,” said Donaldson, top seed in Champaign. “If I keep my mental attitude on the court and do the things that have made me successful, then I feel I will be Top 100 sooner than later.

“If I have to come through qualies (at ATP World Tour events), that’s fine. I’ve played my best tennis in qualies, but it does make things easier to get into the main draw directly. It helps with scheduling, but it’s good to keep things in perspective also. As soon as you start expecting something and feel you deserve something, mentally I have a tough time dealing with it on the court. As soon as you get to a certain ranking, you’ll always want more, whether I’m Top 100, Top 50, Top 10.”

A total of eight players, all positioned between No. 101 and No. 110 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, have the opportunity to crack the Top 100 this week and put themselves in prime position to finish the year there. No. 101 Carlos Berlocq, No. 103 Rogerio Dutra Silva, No. 109 Guido Andreozzi and No. 110 Nicolas Kicker are competing in Montevideo, while Nishioka, Chung and No. 107 Yuichi Sugita are in Toyota, and Donaldson is battling on home soil in Champaign.

Donaldson, Nishioka and Sugita were Top 100 newcomers earlier this year, while Andreozzi and Kicker, two key members of Argentina’s dominant 19-title campaign, are looking to make their debuts.

Also jockeying for year-end Emirates ATP Rankings positions are American teens Michael Mmoh and Reilly Opelka. Mmoh, 18, and Opelka, 19, claimed their maiden ATP Challenger Tour titles in recent weeks in Knoxville and Charlottesville, respectively, putting them just outside the Top 200. Mmoh rose 64 spots to No. 204, while Opelka is at No. 208. Both will be keen to improve their standing this week in Champaign.

“I definitely want to do well this week and end the year Top 200,” said Mmoh. “I’m pretty close and think I can get there. That’s my main goal. If I win the (USTA’s) Aussie Open wild card that’s a big bonus, but I’m focusing on ending the year in the Top 200.

“My goal at the beginning of the year was Top 150, but maybe Top 200 was a little more realistic. When I got injured, that was erased. But I’m really happy now and I hope I can make a push and end the year Top 200.”