BUENOS AIRES/STARNBERG, September 28, 2025
World No. 188 Alex Barrena and World No. 144 Roman Burruchaga will contest the championship match at the YPF Buenos Aires Challenger presented by La Roche–Posay. The ATP Challenger event, organised by Torneos and staged from September 21–28 at the Racket Club in Palermo, will crown an Argentine champion for the fifth consecutive year.
Barrena produced a near-perfect performance in Saturday’s semi-final, storming past Ecuador’s Alvaro Guillen Meza 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour. The 22-year-old from Buenos Aires won 72 per cent of his first-serve points and 61 per cent of return points to record his eighth victory in his last nine matches and reach a second straight final on home soil following his runner-up finish in Villa Maria.
“It was an ideal match, I brought out my best tennis. During the week I’d shown it in first sets but today I maintained it to the end, and that makes me very happy,” said Barrena, who has climbed to a Live Ranking of No. 170. “Alvaro is a tough opponent; he beat me earlier this year. Playing a final here, just ten blocks from my home club, is the best feeling in the world.”
Burruchaga, the only seeded player still standing in the draw, extended his flawless run without dropping a set. The sixth seed overcame 2017 champion Nicolas Kicker 6-2, 6-4 in a rain-interrupted encounter, winning 77 per cent of his first-serve points and 62 per cent on his opponent’s second serve to return to a Challenger final for the first time since capturing the title in Piracicaba in early February. “I’m very happy to reach my first final at this tournament,” said the 23-year-old. “It’s special to have my family and friends here watching. It will be a tough match because Álex has improved a lot recently, both technically and mentally. That makes me happy too because he’s worked hard to achieve it.”
Román Burruchaga buscará el trofeo del YPF Buenos Aires Challenger
Se clasificó a la final luego de eliminar 6-4 y 6-4 a Nicolás Kicker
️ Este domingo, desde las 14, definirá el título con su amigo Alex Barrena
FOX Sports 3 pic.twitter.com/6UztKfXZdW
— Buenos Aires Challenger (@ChallengerBA) September 28, 2025
Sunday’s clash will be the first career meeting between Barrena and Burruchaga and will decide the 10th champion in as many editions of the YPF Buenos Aires Challenger. It also marks the sixth all-Argentine final in tournament history; the previous five were all decided in a third set.
Duran/Kestelboim triumph in doubles
In doubles, Argentina has already topped the podium. Guillermo Duran and Mariano Kestelboim, champions last week in Villa Maria, captured the Buenos Aires title with a 7-6(3), 6-1 victory over Brazilians Pedro Boscardin Dias and Joao Lucas Reis da Silva.
The Argentine duo broke back in the opening set and dominated the tiebreak to set up their win. For Duran it was a 45th Challenger crown and his third at this event after triumphs in 2018 and 2022 alongside Guido Andreozzi. Kestelboim has now lifted six Challenger doubles trophies this season, the first four with Gonzalo Villanueva before teaming up with Duran.
