Buse knocks out Cilic in the first round of the Open Menorca ATP Challenger 100
Rain didn’t spoil the singles round of 32 and doubles round of 16 at the Open Menorca ATP Challenger 100, held at Club Tenis Ciutadella, where new talents are emerging.
The second round of main draw singles matches at the Open Menorca ATP Challenger 100 delivered high drama on Wednesday at Club Tenis Ciutadella, headlined by the early departure of third seed Marin Cilic at the hands of an inspired Ignacio Buse.
The day also saw the doubles action continue with the remainder of the round of 16, as the tournament—backed by the Consell Insular de Menorca, AETIB, Ajuntament de Ciutadella, and major sponsors such as San Miguel, Solán de Cabras and Joma—continues to grow in stature on the ATP Challenger calendar.
Cilic ousted as new faces make their mark
The standout story came mid-morning when Marin Cilic, one of the tournament favourites, was comprehensively beaten 6-2, 6-1 by 20-year-old Ignacio Buse.
Playing with confidence and composure, the Peruvian dictated the rallies from the baseline and absorbed the Croatian’s powerful serve with ease. Cilic, a former US Open champion, struggled to find rhythm and answers against Buse’s relentless pace and tactical variety.
Buse was joined in the last 16 by Spain’s Javier Barranco Cosano, Denmark’s Elmer Moller, fellow Spaniards Daniel Rincón and Daniel Mérida, Hungary’s Zsombor Piros and France’s Arthur Gea. Mérida and Piros, both coming through qualifying, were particularly impressive.
A heavy downpour briefly halted play around 1:40pm, but the schedule resumed within half an hour and all matches were completed.
Three-set thrillers across the courts
Javier Barranco Cosano opened the day with a rollercoaster three-set win over Swiss qualifier Kilian Feldbausch (6-2, 3-6, 6-4). Soon after, Zsombor Piros staged a brilliant comeback to overcome Andrea Vavassori (5-7, 6-3, 6-1), while Elmer Moller justified his seeding with a straight-sets win over Max Alcalá Gurri (6-3, 6-3).
Daniel Rincón had to dig deep to edge past Belgium’s Kimmer Coppejans (6(3)-7, 6-4, 6-2) in a physically demanding contest. Daniel Mérida came through another attritional battle, fighting back to defeat Nick Hardt (6(3)-7, 6-4, 6-2). Arthur Gea rounded off the singles schedule with a commanding 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 win over Gerard Campana Lee.
Doubles draw takes shape with four pairs through
The men’s doubles draw saw four more teams progress to the quarter-finals. Indian pair Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan cruised past Pedro Cachín and Izan Corretja in straight sets (6-1, 6-2).
Fourth seeds Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Menorcan Sergio Martos Gornes also impressed, seeing off Spaniards Nicolás Álvarez Varona and Carlos Taberner 6-3, 6-3 in front of a lively local crowd.
Lebanon’s Benjamin Hassan and Austria’s Sebastian Ofner edged out Italians Marco Bortolotti and Giorgio Ricca in a hard-fought contest (3-6, 6-4, 10-8), while Spaniards Daniel Rincón and Oriol Roca Batalla capped off the day with a confident 6-1, 6-4 victory over Daniel Masur and Luca Sanchez.
A tournament on the rise
Running until Saturday 6 April, the Open Menorca ATP Challenger 100 is fast establishing itself as a must-watch event for emerging talent on the professional circuit.
With institutional backing from Menorca’s local government and high-profile brand sponsorships, this 2025 edition continues to shine as a platform for rising stars to test themselves and gain valuable experience.
Thursday’s schedule will feature the start of the singles last 16 and the doubles quarter-finals—promising even tighter matchups and another dose of high-quality tennis on the courts of Club Tenis Ciutadella.
