LILLE/STARNBERG, February 19, 2026
Third seed Hugo Gaston suffered a disappointing exit in the round of 16 at the Play In Challenger Lille on Wednesday, falling to US-American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy 6-4, 6-1 in just one hour and seven minutes. Coached by Frenchman Gilles Cervara, the former coach and mentor of Daniil Medvedev, the 20-year-old Californian proved too sharp for the Toulouse native, who struggled to find his rhythm on the night.
Qualifier Quarterfinalist
Nishesh Basavareddy dispatches the home favourite#ATPChallenger | @PlayinLille pic.twitter.com/M6lvfovBrw
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) February 18, 2026
There was better news for Benjamin Bonzi, who marked his tournament debut with a solid 6-4, 6-4 win over Estonia’s Daniil Glinka in one hour and 16 minutes. The eighth seed from Nimes, runner-up last week at the Pau Challenger, is hoping to extend his stay in northern France through to Sunday.
In-form Titouan Droguet continued his impressive start to the season by defeating Kazakhstan’s Timofey Skatov 7-6, 6-2. The 24-year-old has yet to lose a tie-break in 2026, a streak he is well aware of. “It’s true that I’m feeling confident at the moment, especially in tie-breaks,” said the recent Montpellier ATP 250 semifinalist. “I think about it—I was 9 out of 9 before this one, now it’s 10. When I get into a tie-break, I feel confident, and that makes a big difference.”
Following his upset of second seed Jacob Fearnley earlier in the week, Clement Chidekh confirmed his strong form by edging compatriot Sascha Gueymard Wayenburg 7-6, 7-6 in a tightly contested match lasting just over two hours. Chidekh moves into Friday’s quarterfinals, where he will face Luca Van Assche, who advanced comfortably with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Kazakh veteran Mikhail Kukushkin.
The round of 16 concludes on Thursday with rising 17-year-old wild card Moise Kouame taking on Austria’s Joel Schwaerzler, and defending champion Arthur Bouquier facing fourth seed Alexander Blockx in another highly anticipated clash.
