TENERIFE CHALLENGER 1, WILD CARD TO FABIO FOGNINI
MARCHESINI: “FABIO JOINS OTHER GREAT CHAMPIONS”
THERE IS ALSO LANDALUCE, THE FUTURE OF SPANISH TENNIS
Tenerife, 12 January 2024 – Tenerife Challenger 1 is enriched with another prestigious name at the starting line. Fabio Fognini will land on the Canary Island to play the first of three tournaments organized by MEF Tennis Events on the hard courts of the Abama Tennis Academy, by virtue of a wild card for the main draw granted by the organization. The Taggiasco becomes part of a rich entry list that already included his compatriots Flavio Cobolli and Raul Brancaccio, as well as the promising Abdullah Shelbayh and the champions of the last two editions of the Next Gen ATP Finals Brandon Nakashima and Hamad Medjedovic. Martin Landaluce will also be there in the ATP Challenger 100 which will take place from 14 to 21 January. The Spanish Tennis Federation granted the former under-18 world number one one of the two wild cards at its disposal, the other invitation went to Alejandro Moro Canas.
Fognini joins Cobolli and Brancaccio – For Fabio Fognini, one of the most illustrious names on the Italian tennis scene, the results obtained during his career speak for themselves. Best ranking of number 9 ATP, champion of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 in 2019 and one of the players with the most appearances in the Italian Davis Cup national team. Despite a year decimated by physical problems, the thirty-six year old from Arma di Taggia has not lost his will to fight. In a 2023 of ups and downs he stood out with the third rounds of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and Roland Garros, while at the end of the season he closed on a high note with the semi-final in the ATP 250 in Metz and the victory in the Challenger in Valencia in end of November. Currently at position number 105 ATP, the Ligurian is chasing a return to the Top 100 which has been missing since April last year, and in Tenerife he will join Flavio Cobolli and Raul Brancaccio representing the Italian troop on the island. “For us it is a joy to return to host so many great champions – said the President of MEF Tennis Events, Marcello Marchesini –, to whom Fabio has now been added. We will find ourselves in a splendid place like the Abama Tennis Academy, which in 2021 allowed us to win the award as the best WTA 250 tournament of the season. All this would not be possible without the help of the Government of the Canary Islands and the support of Tenerife Tourism, who have renewed their trust in us also for 2024″.
Wild card in the main draw also for the talented Landaluce – Martin Landaluce has been added to the large group of interesting young people ready to battle it out in Tenerife. The Spaniard, former world number one under 18 and champion of the US Open Junior 2022, will take to the court in Tenerife thanks to a wild card granted to him by the Spanish Tennis Federation. During 2023, Landaluce had the opportunity to play in the first round of the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid by virtue of a wild card, which was joined shortly afterwards by the first round of the ATP 250 in Umag. The alternation between these tokens in the major circuit and the first victories in the Challenger circuit, culminating with the quarter-finals in Alicante and Valencia, allowed him to become the first tennis player born in 2006 to enter the Top 500 (now n.443) . “I have to say a big thank you to the Spanish Federation and its president Miguel Diaz Roman – added Marcello Marchesini -. The intense collaboration we are having contributes to the spectacle we will see on the pitch, and with their important help we are increasing the number of Challenger tournaments in Spain, which is now like a second home for us.” The Iberian presence in Tenerife is enriched with further names to keep an eye on. The Spanish Federtennis also granted a wild card for the main draw to Alejandro Moro Canas (current number 230 ATP), while the two invitations for the qualifiers went to Pol Martin Tiffon and Daniel Merida Aguilar (number 235 and 439 ATP respectively). Also fighting for access to the main draw will be Tomas Quesada (an athlete originally from Gran Canaria) and Kenay Ortiz (tennis player from the Tenerife Tennis Academy), both of whom will be awarded a wild card by the organisation.
Tickets and season tickets to enjoy great tennis in Tenerife are available on the website www.tenerifetennis.com
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