In the first edition of “Challenger Masters”, which was held in Sao Paulo ($220,000 prize money; indoors), Dudi Sela [95] and Cedrik-Marcel Stebe [103] advanced to the final. In the first semifinal Sela upset the home crowd posting a 6-4, 6-4 win over Thomaz Bellucci [37], later on in an all-German duel of left-handed players, Stebe ousted Andreas Beck [105] in three tight sets after almost 3-hour battle, coming back from a *2:4 deficit in the 2nd set and *2:4 the 3rd-set tie-break. “I think we both were a little nervous at the beginning,” said Stebe. “It was mentally a tough match as I had to come back a couple of times and I managed to keep my game; in the end it worked out. He’s a very good player, was Top 40, knows my game well, and I hope to keep improving with good matches like this one.” On the following day Stebe outplayed Sela in 1 hour 29 minutes, avenging a defeat in his first ’round robin’ match. Stebe celebrated it lying on the ground. It’s a breakthrough season for the 21-year-old skinny German. He began the year as No. 375, but his consistent play at the Challenger circuit, especially in Asia (titles in Bangkok, Shanghai, final in Kyoto, semifinals in Guangzhou, Pingguo, Oberstaufen), and two good ATP tournaments on
the home soil in July (defeated Davydenko twice) allowed him in advancement to the Top 100. Stebe possesses very natural ground-strokes, good serve, covers the court smoothly, there’s no problem with his mentality (5-0 in the deciding 3rd set tie-break this year – all levels). I guess he’s a Top 10 material and the future of German tennis, should be a tennis leader of his nation in the current decade…. The maiden event was played in an ATP World Tour Finals format – two groups with four players on each of them; there were invited the seven best players of the season of the Challenger circuit and a “wild card” home favorite – Bellucci.You must be logged in to post a comment.
One year later totally different line-up and Guido Pella [124] triumphs beating Adrian Ungur [112] in the final 6-3 6-7 7-6. The funny thing is three days before they played a match with very similar scoreline, Ungur won 4-6 7-6 7-6.