There are two players left in singles action at the Drummondville National Bank Challenger. The tournament, which offers $54,160 in total prize money, will be played from February 17-23 at the René-Verrier indoor tennis club in Drummondville.
The first player to book his spot in the final was American Maxime Cressy, the no. 14 seed. Born in France, Cressy has lived in and represented the United Stated for the past 6 years. In his match on Saturday, he was facing the only unseeded player left in the draw, Johannes Haerteis of Germany. With both players participating in the tournament in Drummondville for the first time, they were treated to a festive atmosphere from the sold-out crowd. Despite experiencing some difficulties on serve, committing 7 double faults, Cressy also managed to fire 14 aces. After a little over an hour and a half of play, he took the match by a score of 7-6(2), 6-4. He reaches the third ATP Challenger final of his career, having won on one previous occasion in Cleveland back in 2019.
Looking to join Cressy in the final were Christopher O’Connell of Australia, the tournament’s third seed, and Arthur Rinderknech of France, the 12th seed. Playing in their first match against one another, it was a relatively tight first set, as Rinderknech got the only break he needed to take the lead. Early in the second, O’Connell required a medical timeout, seeming to experience some discomfort. Cressy took the early lead in the second set and never looked back. He moves into the final thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 victory. On Sunday, he will be looking to add to his collection for 2020, having already won a Challenger title just a few weeks ago in France. The final is set to begin at 1 p.m. ET.
Guinard and Rinderknech take home the doubles title
Photo : Jean-Samuel Gauthier
After his singles win, Rinderknech was back on court in the doubles final, playing alongside compatriot Manuel Guinard. They were taking on Roberto Cid Subervi of the Dominican Republic and his partner Goncalo Oliveira of Portugal. Both teams were playing good tennis all week, knocking out some of the top seeds. In the end, it was the French pair who took home their first doubles title together, winning by a score of 7-6(4), 7-6(3).
*Feature photo: Sarah-Jäde Champagne
