Fourth seed Valentin Royer moved one step closer to back-to-back titles in Kigali after defeating Dutchman Max Houkes in two sets 7-6(7), 6-2 to reach the final of the ATP Rwanda Challenger 100 scheduled for Sunday, March 9, at IPRC-Kigali Ecology Tennis Club. The Frenchman, who won the ATP Rwanda Challenger 75 last week, overcame a tight first set before dominating the second to keep his winning streak alive. Royer will face Dutchman Guy Den Ouden in Sunday’s final. The latter powered past French qualifier Luka Pavlovic 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal. Den Ouden, who advanced past second seed Calvin Hemery due to injury in the quarterfinals, delivered a composed performance to secure his first ATP Challenger final appearance of the season. Royer will now look to extend his dominance in Kigali when he takes on Den Ouden in Sunday’s final, aiming for his second ATP Challenger title in as many weeks. In the meantime, India’s Siddhant Banthia and Bulgaria’s Alexander Dosnki were crowned kings of doubles of the Rwanda Challenger 100. The duo overcame France’s Geoffrey Blancaneaux and Czech partner Zdenek Kolar in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 in the thrilling final to claim the title.
