'One of my toughest matches ever', Alexander Blockx battles into Cap Cana Challenger SFs

Challenger

'One of my toughest matches ever', Blockx battles into Cap Cana Challenger SFs

Billy Harris wins a three-hour, 20-minute marathon in Phoenix

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Alexander Blockx celebrates his hard-fought quarter-final win Friday at the Cap Cana Challenger. By ATP Staff

Under a punishing Caribbean sun in sweltering humidity, Alexander Blockx dug deep Friday to reach the semi-finals at the ATP Challenger 175 event in Cap Cana, Dominican Republic.

The reigning Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up rallied past Coleman Wong 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a bruising two-hour, 30-minute battle that tested both players to their physical limits. Blockx, who played a three-hour marathon less than 24 hours before, celebrated his quarter-final victory by falling to the ground in relief.

“This morning when I woke up I was like, ‘It cannot possibly be any more difficult than yesterday’, but I think this was one of my toughest matches I’ve ever played physically,” said the 20-year-old. “The first set I wasn’t feeling well with the heat after playing three hours yesterday. The second set was so long, every point was so long. I just kept fighting.”

Blockx improved to 12-2 this season at ATP Challenger level. He won the Canberra Challenger in his first event of 2026 and reached the final in Lille, France last month. At No. 89 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, the Belgian is in good position to surpass his career-high No. 94.

Up next for the four-time Challenger champion is Argentine Mariano Navone, who beat second Valentin Royer 6-2, 7-6(5).

In other action at the Republica Dominicana Open - Copa Cap Cana, Australian Adam Walton upset Miomir Kecmanovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 to reach the last four. Mattia Bellucci downed fifth seed Raphael Collignon 6-4, 6-2.

Briton Harris wins longest match in Phoenix Challenger history

Marathon matches were a theme at ATP Challenger level Friday. In addition to Blockx’s hard-fought win, Briton Billy Harris survived a three-hour, 20-minute clash against Adrian Mannarino at the Arizona Tennis Classic.

In the longest match in tournament history, Harris escaped the third-seeded Frenchman 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in Phoenix, where he will next play Ethan Quinn. The American, who celebrated his 22nd birthday Thursday, beat Benjamin Bonzi 7-6(4), 7-6(7). Quinn trailed 0/5 in the second-set tie-break before winning seven of the next nine points to advance.

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