As the senior tournaments wind down, not every event on the professional tennis calendar has finished. The ATP Challenger Tour continues, which Sam Querrey says is “the essential stepping stone for players aspiring to reach the pinnacle of professional tennis.” That path has now produced major news, as former Ivy League standout Alafia Ayeni made history by defeating top seed Francisco Cerundolo to reach the semi-finals.

Ayeni recently defeated Cerundolo at the Challenger Temuco on 28th November. In their quarterfinal match, the American hit 5 aces compared to the Argentine’s two. He also made 72% of his first serves and won about 71% of those points. His strong performance helped him control key moments of the match.

That victory allowed Ayeni to reach his first Challenger semif

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