Tirante triumphs at Mexico City Challenger, hits career high: 'Possibility of Roland Garros main draw'

Mexico City Open

Top seed Thiago Agustin Tirante capped a dominant week at the Mexico City Open on Sunday when he lifted his fourth ATP Challenger Tour trophy.

The 22-year-old Argentine did not drop a set all week at the clay-court 125 event, where he raced past Canadian Alexis Galarneau 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

“I knew I had to do things well as the first seed and I was able to keep the pressure under control,” Tirante said in Spanish. “I know that I am a good player at altitude and when the schedule was put together, I did not hesitate to come despite the injury I suffered in February, so getting here represented an additional challenge.”

^{Fans fill the stands at the Mexico City Open for Sunday's final between Thiago Agustin Tirante and Alexis Galarneau. Credit: Mexico City Open}

After making his Top 100 debut in the PIF ATP Rankings last month, Tirante went one step further than last year’s finalist finish in Mexico City to hit a career-high No. 91.

“All the matches were tough, but the most important was [the final] because there was a big difference in points and it represented more things to me, such as the possibility of entering the main draw at Roland Garros," Tirante said.

Playing at a high altitude of 2,240 metres in Mexico City, the former junior No. 1 relied on his heavy hitting to be crowned champion at the Centro Deportivo Chapultepec, where he is 9-1 across two appearances.

“It’s like one-two punch, serve plus-one, or serve plus-two. It’s strange to see a rally in altitude,” Tirante said. “I like it because my forehand and my serve are very strong at normal heights and now here, it’s more powerful. I really like to play this type of tournament.”

In other ATP Challenger Tour action, Nick Hardt became just the second champion from the Dominican Republic (Victor Estrella Burgos) when he won the Emilio Sanchez Challenger by Waterdrop in Barcelona.

Competing in his first Challenger final since October 2022, the 23-year-old Hardt defeated second seed Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to capture the title.

^{Nick Hardt celebrates winning his first ATP Challenger trophy in Barcelona. Credit: Emilio Sanchez Challenger by Waterdrop}

Frenchman Enzo Couacaud returned to the winners’ circle for the first time since February 2021. The 29-year-old won the ENGIE Open in Florianopolis, Brazil, where he survived home hope Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(1) in the final.

After dropping his lone set all week to start the title match, Couacaud rallied to end his four-match skid in Challenger finals, including two losses in 2024.

^{Enzo Couacaud wins the Challenger 75 event in Florianopolis, Brazil. Credit: Luiz Candido/CBT}

Damir Dzumhur collected his ninth Challenger crown at the Open Citta della Disfida in Barletta, Italy, where he downed Frenchman Harold Mayot 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

The 31-year-old Bosnian, who has been as high as No. 23 in the PIF ATP Rankings (July 2018), is hoping to maintain his form and return to the Top 100.

“I started very well this season. I was playing some very good matches, two semi-finals of Challenger 125s and then I had a bad period, four tournaments of first-round losses, so this is a great comeback for me,” Dzumhur said. “My first title on clay after a long, long time and I’d say it was one of the best weeks on clay in the last few years.

“I’m really happy that my first week on clay this year started very well. I’m closing the gap towards Top 100 and I really believe I can get back there. I know the way is not easy, you have to work a lot, but this is a good start.”

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In Barletta, Damir Dzumhur claims his 9th career Challenger title#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/v5MekUtMMp

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 7, 2024