Challenger Tour Weekly Preview: Events in France & New Zealand

There are two events on the Challenger Tour this weekend, with events being held in both France and New Zealand, starting from Friday.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both events have restrictions on who can enter, with only Australians and New Zealanders allowed to enter the Panumre Tecnifibre Open, while the Open de Mulhouse is open to all players residing in European nations.

Panmure Tecnifibre Open
The first event of the week comes from New Zealand, with the Challenger 3 level Panmure Tecnifibre Open beginning on Friday afternoon in Auckland.

The event is only for those currently residing in Australia and New Zealand, with a pair of Aussies in the men’s draw, in Benjamin Ratcliffe and Damon Macmillan. Evan Williams will be the top seed once again, with the Chileshe brothers and Joel Arscott all aiming to challenge once more.

Emma Millar and Kaitlyn Watts will continue their new rivalry in Panmure as well, with the latter having beaten Millar in their last two finals, winning both the Royal Oak Open and Waikato Open in the process.

Open de Mulhouse
The sole European event this week on the Challenger Tour will be the Open de Mulhouse, which takes place in eastern France from Friday 14 through to Sunday 16 May.

Eight nationalities will be represented in the 24-strong draw for the Challenger 5 men’s title, with seven of those among the top eight seeds in the tournament.

France’s Sebastian Bonmalais will be the top seed, with the World No.61 being one of three members of the top 100 in action. Japan’s Ryosei Kobayashi and Hungary’s Farkas Balazs will also be in action.

Both events will be streamed LIVE throughout the week. The Open de Mulhouse will be shown on the PSA Challenger Tour YouTube channel, while the Panmure Tecnifibre Open will be shown live on the club’s official Facebook page.

This Week’s Schedule
Panmure Tecnifibre Open: Friday 14 – Sunday 16
Open de Mulhouse: Friday 14 – Sunday 16