Americans Nava, Kypson Win Challenger Titles
Two Americans captured ATP Challenger Tour titles on red clay this past week. Emilio Nava saved two championship points to win the Modena Challenger in Italy and Patrick Kypson did not drop a set all week en route to winning the Jumbo Open Rionegro in Colombia.
Nava, 21, earned his second Challenger Tour trophy after defeating Titouan Droguet 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4 in Saturday’s final. The Frenchman Droguet will rue his two match points on serve at 5-4 in the second set. Nava also fended off 12 of 15 break points faced to survive the two-hour, 55-minute battle.
In 2019, the California native Nava was a boys’ singles finalist at the Australian Open and the US Open. He has since transitioned to the Challenger Tour and following his title in Italy, Nava rose to career-high No. 168 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.
The 23-year-old Kypson collected his maiden Challenger Tour title in Medellin, Colombia, where he downed Zimbabwe’s Benjamin Lock 6-3, 6-3 in the championship match. Despite playing in his first Challenger final, Kypson held his nerve to triumph after one hour, 22 minutes.
“Today was a very tough match against Benjamin,” Kypson said. “But I played very solid and with consistency, which helped me win in straight sets and achieve the most important achievement of my career so far."
Patrick Kypson is crowned champion at the Challenger 50 event in Medellin, Colombia. Credit: Jumbo Open Rionegro
Kypson, who is at a career-high No. 271 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, won the USTA’s Roland Garros wild card challenge earlier this season and made his second Grand Slam appearance at the French major. The wild card contest, which Kypson secured following a semi-final run at the Savannah Challenger, is based on performance in outdoor clay Challenger-level events or higher over a four-week period.
Nava and Kypson are the third and fourth Americans to collect Challenger titles this season. Aleksandar Kovacevic and Nicolas Moreno De Alboran have also visited the winners’ circle.