The Challenger Tour, A Thanksgiving Tradition

  Who remembers Ernesto Escobedo ? The one time up and coming American from California now plays under the Mexican flag. It's a little different from Naomi Osaka playing under the Japanese flag, due to the finances involved, but it is also similar. We don't talk too much about the flags that players choose to fly in tennis. But rest assured, most are taking a chance and very few see the success of a Naomi Osaka or Martina Navratilova.

 It is my understanding that the now #458 Escobedo made the change to honor his family heritage, but to also help promote tennis in Mexico. Even at #458, he is the second highest ranked player from Mexico, after #379, Rodrigo Mendez. 

 At the Manzanillo Open in Mexico today, Thanksgiving, Escobedo takes on Michael Geerts, the no.4 seed out of Belgium. American Toby Kodat, currently #350 and the no.8 seed in Manzanillo, faces off against Alan Magadan. Another American, #723, Karl Poling, takes the court against Canadian Liam Draxl, who's currently #142. Draxl is also inside the top 300 in doubles, so he is perhaps the first player that I have mentioned today who's making a living at tennis. 

 Albert Ramos Vinolas is working on Thanksgivng too, at the Mala Open in Portugal. Albert is down to #165, but he's pulled in almost 350k in prize winnings this season. That's not bad for being 36 years old. He faces off against 21 year old Daniel Rincon, also of Spain. Rincon is also ranked no.165 per the current ATP rankings. Something has to give there. This should be muy interesante. 

 The no.3 seed, Damir Dzumur, is also in action today in Portugal. He takes on qualifier, Oleksandr Ovcharenko, who is #332. World #114, Francesco Passaro is also in action at the Mala Open. He matches up with world #187, Vilius Gaubas from Lithuania. That's a nice match-up for the round of 16 at a Challenger event. 

 At the Dove Men's Care Open in Chile, world #105, Camilo Ugo Carabelli faces Remy Bertola from Switzerland, currently #285. Tomas Barrios Vega, #148, takes on qualifier, Gilbert Klier Junior, out of Brazil. In the doubles, four players from Brazil will be featured when Daniel Dultra Da Silva and Luis Brito, take on Wilson Leite and Gilbert Klier Junior. 

 So while action is finished in Japan for Thanksgiving already, Chile, Portugal and Mexico will still deliver tasty action all day. Happy Thankgiving tennis fans. There is more for us to pay attention to then Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune's awful seasons. 

Greg "Lex Luther" Gunther

"Consolidated Break by Greg Gunther"

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