Rei Sakamoto, a promising talent in tennis, has set a new record as the youngest Japanese player to win multiple ATP Challenger Tour titles. Just after his 19th birthday, Sakamoto achieved this milestone by winning the Cary Tennis Classic in North Carolina. He defeated Canadian Liam Draxl with scores of 6-1, 6-4 in the final match.
The victory at the Cary Tennis Classic, an ATP Challenger 75 event, marked Sakamoto’s second Challenger title. “Sakamoto fired an ace on championship point to clinch the title and instantly lit up with a smile in celebration of his second Challenger crown.” This win propels him six places up to ninth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah. The race is for a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Saudi Arabia from December 17-21.
The final was played indoors due to rain, but Sakamoto maintained his strong serve throughout the tournament. According to Infosys ATP Stats, he saved 26 out of 31 break points during the event.
In other news from the ATP Challenger circuit, Italian Francesco Maestrelli won his third career title at the Ion Tiriac Challenger without losing a set. His fellow countryman Stefano Travaglia also celebrated victory on home ground at the Modena Challenger. Travaglia faced several challenging matches but secured a decisive win against Thiago Seyboth Wild in the final.
Meanwhile, Briton Jan Choinski emerged victorious at the Internationaux de Tennis de Troyes. After defeating top seed Marco Trungelliti in the semi-final, Choinski overcame Calvin Hemery in a rain-delayed final match that ended with scores of 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2.