Olivieri Adds To Argentine Challenger Success; Shelton Goes Back-to-Back | ATP Tour

Argentine Genaro Alberto Olivieri and American Ben Shelton etched their names in the ATP Challenger Tour history book this week. Olivieri triumphed at the Uruguay Open to add to Argentina’s record-setting 22 Challenger titles this year while Shelton continued his sizzling run in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he sealed his second consecutive title. Olivieri and Shelton are among six Challenger champions this week.

After rain forced the final to be completed Monday, Olivieri captured his maiden Challenger title by defeating countryman Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-3 to win the Montevideo Challenger.

Olivieri, who climbs to a career-high 191 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, is the 15th different Argentine champion of this year, marking a Challenger Tour record for the most different winners from a single country in a season. The Bragado native is also one of the record-setting 50 first-time Challenger winners in 2022.

In the championship match, the 24-year-old avenged this past month’s loss in Lima to Etcheverry, who was seeded second in Montevideo. Olivieri needed three hours, 31 minutes to get past his countryman Etcheverry, tying the Challenger Tour record for the longest final (Winnetka 2015, Devvarman d. Nguyen).

Etcheverry, 23, earned his 40th Challenger win of the season Saturday, when he ended Daniel Altmaier’s 13-match winning streak. Etcheverry is one of three players to achieve 40 Challenger wins this season: Quentin Halys (43), Constant Lestienne (40). In 2021, the Argentine captured the season’s second-most Challenger match wins (49), behind Benjamin Bonzi (50).

Shelton doubled-up by taking down close friend Christopher Eubanks in a Challenger final for the second consecutive week. Shelton survived Eubanks in a deciding-set tie-break, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(4), to claim the Knoxville Challenger.

Shelton, who is on a 10-match winning streak, is the youngest American (20 years, one month) to win in consecutive weeks since Taylor Fritz (17 years, 11 months) in 2015 (Sacramento and Fairfield Challengers).

Challenger Win Percentage Leaders (2022)

The former University of Florida star has been building upon his NCAA singles title in May. Since capturing the college crown, Shelton has reached five Challenger finals. Following the title at the indoor hard court event, the #NextGenATP lefty rises to a career-high 108.