Patagonia Open: Wilhelmi Downs Mekhalfi For Victory

Switzerland’s Yannick Wilhelmi took the spoils at the Villa la Angostura Patagonia Open this week, beating Frenchman Toufik Mekhalfi in the final.

The Challenger 10 level men’s competition was the first event of this year’s Tour de las Americas, which returned to the Tour for the first time since 2019.

Wilhelmi came into the competition as the No.4 seed, and after a first round bye, he started his campaign in Patagonia with a confident straight games victory over Guatemala’s Ricardo Toscano.

That was followed with back-to-back five-gamers. He had to survive a fightback from Colombia’s Edgar Ramirez Bautista in the quarter finals. Wilhelmi had gone two games up, but Bautista fought back to send the match to a decider. Wilhelmi regrouped, and eventually won it in five on a tie-break 12-10.

He then went the distance in his semi-final clash as well, against top seed Spencer Lovejoy. The Swiss No.3 fell behind twice, but fought back on both occasions, and then went on to take the win in the fifth game 11-4 to book his spot in the final.

The final saw Wilhelmi take on another European, in France’s Toufik Mekhalfi. It was the fourth meeting between the pair on Tour, with the other three all coming in 2022. The Swiss man had the 2-1 advantage coming into the contest, and he comfortably extended that, dropping just 14 points in a straight games victory.

With the win at the Tour de las Americas Villa la Angostura Patagonia Open, Wilhelmi ends his drought of 15 months without a victory. It is his third on Tour to date, and the biggest win of his career so far.

Results: Tour De Las Americas Villa la Angostura Patagonia Open
Final
[4] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [7] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-2

Semi-Finals
[4] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [1] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) 3-2: 8-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4
[7] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [3] Tom Walsh (ENG) 3-2: 3-11, 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9

Quarter Finals
[1] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt [6] Diego Gobbi (BRA) 3-0: 11-7, 13-11, 11-4
[4] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt [8] Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) 3-2: 1-6, 11-6, 11-13, 8-11, 12-10
[3] Tom Walsh (ENG) bt [5] Jeremias Azana (ARG) 3-1: 11-7, 10-12, 13-11, 11-7
[7] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt [2] Yannik Omlor (GER) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 13-11

Second Round
[1] Spencer Lovejoy (USA) bt Maceo Levy (FRA) 3-1: 6-11, 11-1, 11-6, 12-10
[6] Diego Gobbi (BRA) bt Jorge Gomez (MEX) 3-2: 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-7
[8] Edgar Ramirez Bautista (COL) bt Felipe Tovar (COL) 3-0: 11-6, 1-5, 11-7
[4] Yannick Wilhelmi (SUI) bt Ricardo Toscano (GUA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-1, 11-6
[3] Tom Walsh (ENG) bt Pedro Mometto (BRA) 3-1: 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9
[5] Jeremias Azana (ARG) bt Ondrej Vorlicek (CZE) 3-2: 11-6, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6
[7] Toufik Mekhalfi (FRA) bt Francesco Marcantonio (PAR) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7
[2] Yannik Omlor (GER) bt Segundo Portabales (ARG) 3-0: 11-7, 11-7, 11-7

First Round
Maceo Levy (FRA) bt Juan Segundo Barreiro (ARG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-4
Jorge Gomez (MEX) bt Diego Albistro (ARG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 11-6
Felipe Tovar (COL) bt Francisco Obregon (ARG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-6, 11-5
Ricardo Toscano (GUA) bt Rodrigo Obregon (ARG) 3-0: 11-9, 12-10, 11-8
Pedro Mometto (BRA) bt Federico Cioffi (ARG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5
Ondrej Vorlicek (CZE) bt Guido Cannistraci (ARG) 3-0: 11-3, 11-2, 11-6
Francesco Marcantonio (PAR) bt Daniel Lomaglio (ARG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-4
Segundo Portabales (ARG) bt Gustavo Lomaglio (ARG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-6