Frenchman Calvin Hemery saved six match points to defeat sixth seed Jay Clarke in a dramatic three-set battle, winning 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-6(15) after four hours and one minute to reach the round of 16 at the Rwanda 2026 ATP Challenger in Kigali on Tuesday. Hemery, making his third consecutive appearance at the Kigali-based tournament, required a medical timeout in the decisive third set before edging Clarke in what has become the longest match since the ATP Challenger Tour debuted in Rwanda in 2024. Currently ranked 295th in the ATP rankings, Hemery started strongly, taking the opening set 7-6(5). Clarke responded confidently to claim the second set 6-3, forcing a tense decider. After three and a half hours of play, the two were locked at 6-6 in the final set, sending the contest into a marathon tiebreaker. Hemery held his nerve to prevail 17-15, sealing one of the most dramatic victories of the tournament so far. The Frenchman joins top seed Marco Trungelliti, Luka Pavlovic, Arthur Gea, Eliakim Coulibaly, Florent Bax, Stefano Napolitano and Marco Cecchinato in the next round. Other players into the round of 16 are Ryan Nijboer, Michiel de Krom, Zdenek Kolar and Sandro Kopp. The Rwanda Challenger is being staged in Kigali for the third time. The first week, an ATP Challenger 75 event, began on Monday, March 2, and runs through March 8. It will be followed by an ATP Challenger 100 tournament from March 9 to March 15.
