Navone notches biggest career title at Cagliari Challenger

Mariano Navone’s breakthrough season hit a new high Sunday, when he triumphed at the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Cagliari, Italy, marking the biggest title of the Argentine's career.

The 23-year-old downed second seed and home favourite Lorenzo Musetti 7-5, 6-1 by producing a squeaky clean performance from the baseline, often outlasting the Italian in lung-busting rallies and utilising his quick speed to cover the entire court at the Sardegna Open. Navone took advantage of any opening in the Italian's service games, converting six of his 13 break points and winning 53 per cent of his first-serve return points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“It’s been a very tough match, much more than what the score says. We played almost two hours for a 7-5, 6-1,” said Navone, who claimed his sixth ATP Challenger Tour title after a season-leading five trophies a year ago.

A thrilling, back-and-forth opening set featured five breaks of serve and despite Navone failing to close it on his terms at 5-4, he broke Musetti in the ensuing game, and then raced to the finish line, closing the match after one hour, 47 minutes.

“I missed two chances to win the set at 5-3, where he was able to raise his level. Then in the second, [Lorenzo] didn’t play at the same level, maybe he suffered a bit mentally,” Navone said. “I really enjoyed this week and my stay in Cagliari, where I won the most important title of my life in a tournament that looks like an ATP 250 event.”

Following his title run, Navone, who has competed in just six ATP Tour tournaments, is up to a career-high No. 31 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. A finalist at the ATP Tour events in Rio de Janeiro and Bucharest, Navone was outside the Top 100 as recently as February. Navone has won 27 of his past 31 matches on the ATP Challenger Tour, dating back to September 2023.

Sunday’s final at the Tennis Club Cagliari marked the first ATP Challenger Tour title match between two Top 50 players since 2009, when No. 26 Robin Soderling defeated No. 22 Tomas Berdych in Sunrise.

^{Mariano Navone and Lorenzo Musetti compete in Sunday's Sardegna Open final. Credit: Mike Lawrence/ATP Tour}

Musetti, World No. 29 in the PIF ATP Rankings, was aiming for his first title across all levels since October 2022.

“[Mariano] was simply better than me and he deserved to win,” Musetti said. “He played great the whole week, very solid. I was broken in the first game and that wasn’t the start I expected. Tough first set and then in the second I lost contact with him quite early and that’s it.

“My forehand did not work as I expected after yesterday's win. I made too many mistakes, and an opponent like him is able to make you pay for that. But I'm still happy with my week here in Cagliari. I came here to try to find my best level again and I'll go to Rome with a lot of self confidence.”

Aix-en-Provence Challenger
Alejandro Tabilo became the first player this season to win a title on the ATP Tour and ATP Challenger Tour Sunday, when he was crowned champion at the Open Aix Provence Credit Agricole.

The Chilean, who opened the year by winning the ATP 250 in Auckland, raced past Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-3, 6-2 in the final to collect his sixth Challenger crown.

^{Alejandro Tabilo wins the ATP Challenger Tour 175 event in Aix-en-Provence. Credit: Nicolas Averty}

“I feel like I served very well. First set, I showed him very few second serves. I was very confident there and that made me a lot looser in the return games,” said Tabilo who won 78 per cent of his first-serve points and did not face a break point all afternoon. “I came out swinging and the serve was incredible today.”

The 26-year-old Tabilo is now at a career-high No. 32 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.

In other ATP Challenger Tour action, Turkey's Ergi Kirkin and Australian Tristan Schoolkate celebrated their maiden titles at that level Sunday. Kirkin, 25, won the Brasil Tennis Open in Porto Alegre, where he ousted home hope Daniel Dutra da Silva 6-3, 7-5 in the final to become just the fourth Turkish Challenger champion, joining Altug Celikbilek, Cem Ilkel and Marsel Ilhan.

Schoolkate outlasted countryman and third seed Adam Walton 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to lift the trophy at the Guangzhou Nansha International Challenger in China.