Semifinals, March 6 Center court 10:30 AM: Stefano Napolitano (ITA) Vs Arthur Gea (FRA) Not before 12:30 PM: Marco Cecchinato (ITA) Vs Joel Schwaerzlaer (AUT) Venue: IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club After surviving elimination against Jerome Kym, who retired due to a shoulder injury, Marco Cecchinato faces another uphill challenge as Joel Schwaerzler now stands in his way in the semifinals of the Rwanda Challenger. The pair will square off on the center court of the IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club, which is hosting the Rwanda Challenger 75 and 100 tournaments from March 2 to March 15. ALSO READ: Rwanda Challenger: Gea, Hemery face off in all-French quarterfinal battle Cecchinato, 33, booked his place in the semifinals of the Rwanda Challenger 75 after his quarterfinal opponent Kym retired while trailing 6-7, 3-3 due to a shoulder injury. The Italian veteran has improved on his performance in the Rwandan capital compared to last year, when he was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Luka Pavlovic. Awaiting him in the last four is Schwaerzler, who stunned top seed and 2024 Kigali champion Marco Trungellitti in a thrilling three-set encounter, winning 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 in a match that lasted three hours and 23 minutes. The Swiss youngster travelled to Kigali just a day after losing the final of the BSI Challenger Lugano in Switzerland on March 1. In the other semifinal, second seed Arthur Gea will face qualifier Stefano Napolitano. Gea, 20, advanced to the last four after defeating Calvin Hemery in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. He now aims to become the second Frenchman to win a Challenger title in Kigali after Valentin Royer, who won both the Challenger 75 and 100 titles in 2025. However, Napolitano stands in his way. The Italian’s road to the semifinals has been a rollercoaster. He began in the qualifying rounds after his ATP ranking was not high enough to secure a direct spot in the main draw. Napolitano secured his semifinal berth after edging Luka Pavlovic in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 on Thursday. The run marks his best performance on the 2026 Challenger Tour so far, after suffering two round-of-32 exits earlier in the season. He most recently reached the quarterfinals at the Cesenatico Challenger in his home country, Italy, where he lost to fellow Kigali semifinalist Joel Schwaerzler.
