TALLAHASSEE, April 26, 2016

It will be a rematch of the 2015 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger final as defending champion Facundo Arguello and young US-American Frances Tiafoe meet in the opening round. The pair wrap up Tuesday play at Forestmeadows Tennis Complex as the final match of the night.

Facundo Arguello defeats Frances Tiafoe claiming the title in Tallahassee 2015 (photo: Tallahassee Challenger)

Arguello, returns to Tallahassee for a third time, in the hopes of matching his 2015 tournament success. 18-year-old Tiafoe, who won the USTA Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge last year, has already reached the quarterfinals at four Challenger events in 2016.

Also on the docket for Tuesday play, three all-American battles: Tim Smyczek vs. Brian Baker, Donald Young vs. Ernesto Escobedo, and Sekou Bangoura vs. Tennys Sandgren.

No.3 seed Smyczek makes his eighth appearance in Tallahassee, having won the title in 2012. The 28-year-old from Wisconsin has won five Challenger titles in his career and reached the quarterfinals in ATP events in Delray Beach and Houston earlier this year. He meets fellow countryman Baker for the first time since 2011. Baker returned to tennis earlier this year after taking a two and a half year hiatus due to a right knee injury. The former Top 60 player has won two Challenger titles in his career.

Top seed Young returns to Tallahassee for a sixth time, having won the title in 2011. The 26-year-old American has won eight Challenger titles and has reached two ATP World Tour singles finals in his career. He faces off with fellow American Escobedo for the first time. Escobedo is competing in the main draw here for the first time after falling in qualifying in 2015. The 19-year-old from California comes to Tallahassee after reaching the final at the Sao Paolo Challenger just last week.

Kicking off Tuesday’s night session is the Florida State University number one doubles team, Benjamin Lock and Marco Aurelio Nunez. The pair is 13-6 together for the 2016 spring college tennis season thus far. Earlier this year they defeated the No.1 team in the country, University of Florida’s Diego Hidalgo and Gordon Watson. They’re set to face Alejandro Falla and Luis David Martinez. Falla has reached one ATP doubles final in his career at San Jose in 2011. His partner, Martinez, reached the doubles final of the Challenger event in Colombia earlier in 2016.

Bjorn Fratangelo, who leads the USTA Pro Circuit Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge standings, will also take the court Tuesday, facing France’s Quentin Halys. Fratangelo is coming off his title win at the Savannah Challenger, having defeated fellow American Jared Donaldson in the final. Donaldson is also set to take the court against Frenchman Calvin Hemery.

Results – Monday, April 25

Qualifying Final Round

[6] Sekou Bangoura (USA) d. [2] Tomas Lipovsek Puches (Argentina) 6-3 4-6 6-2 [7] Emilio Gomez (Ecuador) d. Roman Safiullin (Russia) 6-3 1-6 0-3 ret.

Singles First Round

[2] Gerald Melzer (Austria) d. Nicolas Kicker (Argentina) 7-5 6-2

Giovanni Lapentti (Ecuador) d. [8] Dennis Novikov (USA) 7-6(5) 6-3

Noah Rubin (USA) d. [WC] Eric Quigley (USA) 6-4 5-7 6-3

James Ward (Great Britain) d. Axel Michon (France) 7-6(5) 6-4

Daniil Medvedev (Russia) d. [WC] Benjamin Lock (Zimbabwe) 6-2 7-5

Doubles First Round

[2] Dean O’Brien (South Africa) / Donald Young (USA) d. [WC] Aziz Dougaz (Tunisia) / Jose E Gracia (USA) 6-1 7-6(3)

Peter Luczak (Australia) / Marc Polmans (Australia) d. Quentin Halys (France) / Axel Michon (France) 6-3 7-6(4)

[WC] Morgan Phillips (Great Britain) / James Ward (Great Britain) d. Ruan Roelofse (South Africa) / Darren Walsh (Great Britain) 6-4 6-4