Mayo wins first pro title in Drummondville, Draxl and Harper place runner-up in doubles – Tennis Canada

The final event on the Canadian professional tennis calendar wrapped on Sunday with the ninth edition of the Challenger Banque Nationale de Drummondville, crowning a first-time champion.

It was an American sweep as Aidan Mayo claimed a surprise singles title, while compatriots James Tracy and Robert Cash secured the doubles trophy.

Mayo Claims Maiden Challenger Title

21-year-old Mayo delivered a career-best performance in Quebec, capturing his first-ever ATP Challenger title with a hard-fought victory over Chris Rodesch in the final, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Read more: Monday Digest – Team Canada wrapping up 2024 in Malaga

The championship featured two unseeded players who had upset top seeds early in the tournament. Rodesch, from Luxembourg, defeated last year’s runner-up and top seed James Duckworth in the round of 32 with a 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-1 victory.

Mayo’s path to the title was equally impressive. The young American opened his campaign by upsetting second seed Aleksander Kovacevic followed by a gritty 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 win over Laval-native Alexis Galarneau to reach the quarter-finals. He then defeated Austria’s Joel Schwaerzler in straight sets and overcame a one-set deficit to beat Germany’s Patrick Zahraj 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the semifinals, setting up a thrilling championship match.

With the breakthrough victory, Mayo has risen 103 spots in the ATP rankings to reach a career-high No. 304.

Tracy and Cash Dominate Doubles; Draxl and Harper Finish Runner-Up

Second-seeded James Tracy and Robert Cash completed the American sweep in Quebec, cruising to the doubles title without dropping a set.

The pair, who also reached the finals at the ATP 250 Hall of Fame Tennis Open in July, defeated Canadians Liam Draxl and Cleeve Harper 6-2, 6-4 in the championship match to claim their third title of 2024.

See: Magic runs out in Malaga for Canada at Billie Jean King Cup

Draxl and Harper, seeded third, also put in a strong showing throughout the tournament. After two straight-set wins, they overcame fellow Canadians Justin Boulais and Juan Carlos Aguilar 4-6, 6-3, 10-5 in the semifinals before falling in the final. The duo had previously captured titles at the M25 Edmonton National Bank Challenger last month and the Dobrich Challenger in Bulgaria in September.