Second seed Arthur Gea faces a stern test against fellow Frenchman Calvin Hemery on Thursday as he looks to keep his hopes of a maiden Challenger title in Kigali alive. The two countrymen will square off in a highly anticipated quarterfinal clash at IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club after impressive performances in the Round of 16. ALSO READ: Trungelliti battles Bax in bid for second Rwanda Challenger title Hemery arrives in confident mood. Fresh from his marathon four-hour-and-one-minute victory over Jay Clarke in the Round of 32 — the longest Challenger match ever played in Kigali — he maintained his momentum by defeating Ryan Nijboer in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, to book his place in the last eight. With two French players meeting in the quarterfinals, France is guaranteed at least one semifinalist in the tournament, which was won last year by compatriot Valentin Royer. Royer, now ranked 60th in the ATP standings, has since become a regular presence on the ATP Tour and Grand Slam circuit. He is currently competing at Indian Wells, his first ATP Masters event of the 2026 season. Another Frenchman eyeing a deep run is Luka Pavlovic, who dispatched Ivorian Eliakim Coulibaly 6-2, 6-4 to set up a quarterfinal showdown with Italian qualifier Stefano Napolitano. Pavlovic reached the semifinals of the Rwanda Challenger 100 in 2025, and his recent form suggests he is determined to go even further this time on Kigali’s clay courts. Cecchinato shows resilience Italian veteran Marco Cecchinato will be making his second appearance in the Rwanda Challenger quarterfinals. After being eliminated at the same stage by Pavlovic in 2025, Cecchinato underlined his ambitions this year by coming from a set down to defeat Austrian Sandro Kopp in a gripping three-set encounter, 6-7(8), 6-4, 7-6(4), on Wednesday. He now faces fifth seed Jerome Kym in what promises to be another stern challenge for a place in the semifinals. Meanwhile, top seed Marco Trungelliti continues his quest for a second Kigali Challenger crown following his 2024 triumph. The Argentine will take on Joel Schwaerzler in the quarterfinals as he seeks to edge closer to another title in the Rwandan capital.
