Rwanda: Trungelliti Battles Bax in Bid for Second Rwanda Challenger Title

4 March 2026
The New Times (Kigali)
By Eddie Nsabimana

Top seed Marco Trungelliti of Argentina is aiming for his second ATP Challenger title in Kigali, following a memorable debut at the tournament in 2024 when he visited the city with his mother.

The Argentine began his 2026 Rwanda Challenger campaign with a challenging first-round encounter against British player Garret Johns on Monday. Trungelliti emerged victorious in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, showing resilience against a determined opponent.

ALSO READ: Rwanda Challenger: Hemery edges Clarke in 32-point tiebreaker

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He will now face Frenchman Florent Bax, who advanced to the second round with a straight-sets victory over Gabriele Pennaforti, 6-3, 6-4. Bax is familiar with IPRC Kigali Ecology Tennis Club's clay courts, having competed in both ATP Challenger and M25 events here since 2024. The two players last met in an ATP Challenger match in July 2025 in Troyes, where Trungelliti won 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Eliakim Coulibaly, Africa's only hope

Ivorian star Eliakim Coulibaly has struggled to find his best form in Kigali despite strong local support. In 2025, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals before returning to Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, where he claimed his first career Challenger title, overcoming Tunisia's Aziz Dougaz 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-4.

The 23-year-old is currently the only African player to reach the second round of the 2026 Rwanda Challenger. Last year, he exited at the same stage after losing to Max Houkes in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-3. Coulibaly now faces 2025 semifinalist Luka Pavlovic on Wednesday, looking to make a stronger statement.

Hemery survives marathon tiebreak

Frenchman Calvin Hemery secured his spot in the second round after a grueling four-hour, one-minute (4h01m) victory over sixth seed Jay Clarke on Tuesday at the center court. This stands out as the longest match in Rwanda Challenger since 2024.

After splitting the first two sets 7-6(5), 3-6, the final set reached 6-6, leading to a 32-point tiebreaker that Hemery won 17-15. He will next face Ryan Nijboer, who defeated fellow Dutchman Max Houkes 6-3, 6-3 in the first round.

Other second-round matches

Sandro Kopp vs Marco Cecchinato

Filip Cristian Jianu vs Arthur Gea

Joel Schwaerzler vs Zdenek Kolar

Stephano Napolitano vs Luka Mikrut

Michiel De Krom vs Samuele Pieri or Jerome Kym

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