KIGALI/STARNBERG, March 14, 2026
Marco Trungelliti of Argentina and Italy’s Marco Cecchinato will compete in Sunday’s singles final of the 2026 Rwanda Challenger 2. Top seed Trungelliti beat No. 5 seed Zdenek Kolar from the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 in the stage of the last four on Saturday afternoon.
The world No. 132 broke his rival’s serve three times and won 55 per cent of the total points played to seal victory in one hour and 28 minutes.
Earlier, Cecchinato, who also reached the semi-finals last week in Kigali, edged out second-seeded Frenchman Arthur Gea 6-3, 6-4. The No. 8 seed of the ATP Challenger Tour 100 clay-court tournament saved all five break points he faced and converted two of his own seven break-point chances to advance in one hour and 34 minutes.
Third time lucky
After two semifinal exits this season, Marco Cecchinato storms past Gea 6-3, 6-4 to reach the Kigali final! #ATPChallenger | @tennis_rwanda pic.twitter.com/ugVupTca68
— ATP Challenger (@ATPChallenger) March 14, 2026
World No. 225 Cecchinato is seeking his ninth ATP Challenger career title, his first of the season. Trungelliti could lift his seventh Challenger trophy, his second in Rwanda following his triumph in the ‘Land of a Thousands Hills’ two years ago. Cecchinato leads the pair’s head-to-head record 3-1.
Latinovic/Pavlovic crowned doubles champions
In other action, Stefan Latinovic of Serbia and Frenchman Luka Pavlovic captured the doubles title. The unseeded team upset top seeds Siddhant Banthia from India and Alexander Donski of Bulgaria 7-6(5), 7-6(2) in the final in one hour and 35 minutes.
By winning their first team title, Latinovic and Pavlovic split $7,960 in prize money and collected 100 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
