Famous for awarding a wild-card for Wimbledon to its winner, the Ilkley Challenger – north of Leeds – has a reason to smile for a Frenchman. There will be one in the final as one of the semifinals will feature two French players. On Thursday, there was an exciting match between Titouan Droguet and Grégoire Barrère. With 15 aces, Droguet won 7-6, 6-4. Later on, he faced another “friend” on the court, Benjamin Bonzi. The player from Gard, dominant against Italian Stefano Napolitano, defeated Droguet in two sets 7-6(5), 6-4. In the semifinals, he will face another Frenchman, Harold Mayot. Bonzi seems energized and is considered a strong candidate for the wild-card spot.
Harold Mayot managed to control Lloyd Harris with a score of 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday. Ranked 125th in the world and defeating Richard Gasquet, the player from Lorraine has a good chance to avoid Wimbledon qualifications. On the other hand, Terence Atmane lost his quarterfinal match against David Goffin. The hungry and skilled Belgian player managed to defeat the Frenchman in two sets 6-3, 6-4.