ITF

I T F W O R L D C H A M P I O N S IT SO NEARLY PROVED THE PERFECT YEAR FOR GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ ALTHOUGH HIS CONSISTENTLY OUTSTANDING form during 2019 ensured the Argentinian was named men's wheelchair ITF World Champion for the second time in three years. A six-trophy season in singles alone, which included a hugely impressive haul of three Grand Slam titles, guaranteed Fernandez the much-coveted year-end No.1 spot in the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour's world rankings. The achievement was built upon the foundations of those Grand Slam successes, which saw Fernandez lift silverware in the men's singles draw at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and, for the first time in his career, Wimbledon. Opportunity certainly knocked for Fernandez, who headed to New York and the US Open in September with the chance to make history and become the maiden wheelchair tennis player to complete a calendar-year singles Grand Slam. Fresh from securing his third successive men's singles gold medal at the Parapan American Games, Fernandez progressed to the semi-finals but, despite claiming the first set, succumbed to defeat against Stephane Houdet of France. Houdet was a familiar foe for Fernandez during 2019, with the duo drawing swords on nine occasions in singles competition. While Fernandez returned a 6-3 win-loss record against his rival, Houdet proved a more than stubborn opponent during the business end of tournaments. Not only did Houdet overcome Fernandez in the last four of the US Open, but also the final of the Bendigo Wheelchair Tennis Open in January and the semis of February's ABN AMRO World Wheelchair Tennis Tournament. Happily for Fernandez, however, he navigated the final hurdle at May's Internazionali BNL d'Italia, somewhat inevitably against Houdet, while he also topped the podium at the BNP Paribas Open de France in June. By the season's end, Fernandez could also boast five doubles titles with a variety of playing partners. The most significant arrived at Roland Garros where he and Japan's Shingo Kunieda defeated Houdet and his compatriot Nicolas Peifer in the final. This was Rio Tercero-born Fernandez's first Grand Slam doubles title since he and Peifer dispatched all before them at Wimbledon in 2015. It added further gloss to a truly memorable season. IT WENT DOWN TO THE WIRE BUT ARGENTINA'S THIAGO AGUSTIN TIRANTE WAS NAMED BOYS' ITF WORLD CHAMPION FOLLOWING A FLURRY of titles during the final few weeks of 2019. Being crowned singles champion at three tournaments in as many weeks from late November onwards ensured Tirante rocketed to the summit of the ITF World Tennis Tour Junior Rankings presented by IMG Academy. Closing the campaign as the top-ranked boy on the planet represented remarkable progress for a player who finished 2018 with a combined year-end ranking of No.134. While the 18-year-old's best singles showing at a Junior Grand Slam was a third-round appearance at Roland Garros in June, it was a season laced with top-end silverware. In total, Tirante sealed five singles titles in 2019, three of them at Grade A level, and it was his victory at the prestigious Orange Bowl in mid-December which secured his place at the top of the junior rankings. Tirante, who also won JA Porto Alegre in February, progressed to the final in Florida and indeed beat fellow Argentinian Juan Bautista Torres to lift silverware without dropping a set. Success at the Orange Bowl followed victory at J1 Bradenton where he beat another fellow countryman, this time Roman Andres Burruchaga, in the final, while his spate of trophies began at JA Merida. Tirante overpowered France's Arthur Cazaux in the singles final at JA Merida, and it was a double-pronged silverware assault in Mexico as he and American Dali Blanch secured doubles joy. Although a Junior Grand Slam trophy was not forthcoming in singles, it was a different story in doubles. In June, Tirante teamed up with Brazil's Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida to triumph at Roland Garros. The duo thrived on the clay of Paris, progressing to the final in ruthless fashion before dispatching Italy's Flavio Cobolli and Dominic Stephan Stricker of Switzerland in straight sets. Tirante claimed that winning a Junior Grand Slam doubles crown would remain one of his "best memories" and insisted that it would have a positive effect on his singles. Looking at his recent results, it is hard to argue with the La Plata-born teenager. Tirante sealed five singles titles in 2019, three of them at Grade A level 10 ITFWorld // WINTER 2019/20 Thiago Agustin Tirante Gustavo Fernandez Fernandez won the first three Grand Slam singles titles of the year Tirante finished 2018 ranked No.134

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