Saturday, March 1 ATP Challenger 75 Kigali final Doubles Final 12:30pm: Jesper de Jong/ Max Houkes vs Geoffrey Blancaneaux/Czech Zdenek Kolar Singles final Not Before 3:00PM: Valentin Royer (3) vs Andrej Martin (Q) French rising star Valentin Royer and Slovakian veteran Andrej Martin will Saturday , March 1, battle for what would be their first ATP Challenger trophy in Kigali. The pair set up Rwanda Challenger 75 final after overcoming tournament favourite Marco Cecchinato and Maximillian Neuchrist respectively in the semifinals on Friday. ALSO READ: Rwanda Challenger: Cecchinato eyes glory on Kigali’s clay court Royer, the tournament’s third seed, stunned former world No. 16 Cecchinato in a three-set battle, winning 7-5, 3-6, 6-1. The 23-year-old showed resilience against the experienced Italian, dominating the final set to book his spot in the final. Meanwhile, Martin secured his place in the championship match with a comeback win over Austria’s player-coach Neuchrist, in a tight 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(6) contest. The Slovak had a frustrating start to the match during which he broke his racket. He eventually lost the set before displaying remarkable composure to claim the second set, and then holding his nerve to win the third set in a tiebreak to reach the final for the first time since 2022. With both players eyeing the ATP Challenger 75 title, the final promises an exciting showdown between Royer’s aggressive baseline play and Martin’s tactical consistency. Doubles final Saturday’s action will also feature the doubles final, where Dutch duo Jesper De Jong and Max Houkes will take on France’s Geoffrey Blancaneaux and Czech Zdenek Kolar for the title. Both finals will take place at IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Courts, with players competing for crucial ATP ranking points and a strong start to their 2024 campaign.
