The draw for the Happy Valley Challenger has been released, and Challenger specialist Dudi Sela features as the top seed. The Israeli is amongst the most decorated winners in Challenger history and will be looking to add Happy Valley to his burgeoning collection. Sela will face Uladzimir Ignatik kin the first round.
Happy Valley also sees Taylor Fritz enjoy a challenger seeding for the first time. The eighteen year-old American has a favourable draw. Though he is the eighth seed, his scheduled higher seed is Alejandro Gonzalez, who counts clay ahead of hard in the list of his preferred surfaces. Fritz must first negotiate two matches, starting with wildcard Marc Polmans if he is to worry about Gonzalez.
Fritz’s compatriot Bjorn Fratangelo also seems to have been given a favourable draw. As the second seed he starts against a qualifier, and his first seeded match possibly against Renzo Olivo, who like Gonzalez enjoys clay the most. Francis Tiafoe and Dan Evans met each other late last year in a Challenger Final. They both feature in the top half of the draw and both start with qualifiers.
Full Happy Valley Draw (selected picks in bold)
(1) Dudi Sela vs Uladzimir Ignatik
Qualifier vs Dan Evans
Qualifier vs Francis Tiafoe
Jan Satral vs (5) Aleksandr Nedovyesov
(4) Igor Sijsling vs Hiroki Moriya
Andrey Golubev vs Brydan Klein
Marton Fucsovics vs Matteo Donati
Qualifier vs (6) Grega Zemlja
(8) Taylor Fritz vs (WC) Marc Polmans
Alexander Sarkissian vs Peter Gojowczyk
(WC) Matthew Barton vs Nils Langer
(WC) Alex Bolt vs (3) Alejandro Gonzalez
(7) Renzo Olivo vs Dennis Novak
Daniel Nguyen vs Aldin Setkic
(WC) Bradley Mousley vs Laslo Djere
Qualifier vs (2) Bjorn Fratangelo
