MURCIA/STARNBERG, March 16, 2026
Raul Brancaccio of Italy, Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan and Britain’s Jan Choinski all secured their places in the second round of the VII Challenger Costa Calida Region de Murcia after winning their respective matches on Monday.
Brancaccio advanced after defeating fellow wild card entry Alejo Sanchez Quilez of Spain in a demanding contest that was settled in two sets, 7-6(4) and 6-2. The 28-year-old Italian had to work hard in a very tight opening set, which was decided in a tie-break, before taking control of the match in the second.
One of the most competitive matches of the day featured Choinski, who staged a comeback against Spain’s Miguel Damas. The No. 6 seed of the ATP Challenger 75 clay-court event dropped the first set but responded strongly to claim a 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 victory in two hours and 34 minutes.
Veteran Kukushkin also progressed, overcoming Lithuania’s Edas Butvilas 7–6(4), 6–4 in a closely contested encounter that was decided by small margins, particularly in the key moments of each set.
The day also brought the conclusion of the qualifying stage. Louis Wessels, Filip Pieczonka, Frederico Ferreira Silva, David Jorda, Christoph Negritu, and Felix Gill all came through the qualifying rounds to secure their places in the main draw, where they will make their tournament debuts on Tuesday.
Top seeds enter the competition on Tuesday
The tournament continues this Tuesday with a schedule that will see several of the leading contenders make their first appearances. Among them is the top seed Jesper de Jong from the Netherlands as well as Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta, one of the standout names in the draw.
