PHOTOS: Trungelliti beats Cecchinato to win second Challenger title in Kigali

Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti claimed his second ATP Challenger title in Kigali after coming from a set down to defeat Italy’s Marco Cecchinato 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 in Sunday’s final. The match, held at IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club, was attended by President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame. It marked the second time the presidential couple attended a tennis final in Kigali, following the inaugural ATP Challenger tournament in 2024, which was also won by Trungelliti. In the opening set, both players displayed strong competitiveness, exchanging points in a tightly contested battle. However, in the closing stages, Cecchinato maintained his composure to secure the set 6–4. The Italian showed signs of shoulder discomfort early in the second set, allowing Trungelliti to take full control. The Argentine dominated the set, winning it convincingly 6–0. The momentum carried into the third set as Cecchinato attempted to fight back with aggressive rallies. Nevertheless, Trungelliti remained composed and managed the key moments better, sealing the victory with a 6–3 win to clinch the title. “I thank my opponent for this amazing match. It was very challenging. I loved Rwanda, and I hope to see more tennis tournaments in Africa,” Trungelliti said after the victory. Both players had impressive runs to the final. In the ATP Challenger 75 tournament held in Kigali a week earlier, Trungelliti was eliminated in the quarterfinals while Cecchinato fell in the semifinals. However, both bounced back strongly in the ATP Challenger 100 event to reach Sunday’s final.

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PHOTOS: Trungelliti beats Cecchinato to win second Challenger title in Kigali