Burruchaga's battle: Argentine wins second-longest Challenger final in history

Roman Andres Burruchaga won’t soon forget his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title run in Piracicaba, Brazil. The 23-year-old spent nearly seven hours on court Sunday, due to heavy rain all week postponing several matches.

Burruchaga won a three-hour, two-minute semi-final against home hope Gustavo Heide before returning to court and winning the second-longest Challenger final in history (three hours, 45 minutes). The Argentine saved a championship point, surviving countryman Facundo Mena 7-6(8), 6-7(6), 7-6(4) to lift the Brasil Tennis Challenger trophy.

Longest ATP Challenger Tour finals in history (since 1978)

Following his triumph, Burruchaga is up to No. 131 in the PIF ATP Rankings, seven spots shy of tying his career high.

Cleveland
American Colton Smith also captured his first Challenger title at the Cleveland Open, where he downed Eliot Spizzirri 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 in the final. The 21-year-old Smith, who is a senior at the University of Arizona, was competing in just his seventh Challenger event. He reached the Sioux Falls Challenger final last October in just his fourth outing at that level. Smith is at a career-high No. 259 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

^{Colton Smith in action at the Cleveland Open. Credit: Samuel Herr}

Brisbane
Australian Tristan Schoolkate scored his second Challenger crown on home soil at the Brisbane QTC Tennis International #1. The 23-year-old arrived at the event following a second-round showing at the Australian Open, where he took a set off eventual champion Jannik Sinner. Only Schoolkate and 13th seed Holger Rune won a set against Sinner in Melbourne. Seeded fifth in Brisbane, Schoolkate defeated Marek Gengel 7-6(3), 7-6(4) in the final.

Koblenz
World No. 159 Ugo Blanchet survived a dramatic week at the Koblenz Open to lift his second Challenger trophy. The Frenchman needed a deciding set in four of his five matches, including his 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) final victory against Italian Luca Nardi, who served for the title at 6-5 in the decider. But the 26-year-old Blanchet held his nerve all week, even saving a match point in his second-round match against Max Hans Rehberg.

Ugo Blanchet reigns in Koblenz 👑

The Frenchman battles past Nardi 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) to claim his second career Challenger title in a thrilling final!#ATPChallenger | @FFTennis pic.twitter.com/ItERklhCaq

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) February 2, 2025