The latest tournament in the tennis world, the Santa Catarina challenger, was revealed on Wednesday by the host and creator, Gustavo Kuerten.
The tournament will be the third one on the list of the farewell tour of Guga. The competition will take place in the city where Kuerten was born, Florianopolis. The tournament will begin on April 14th and will be the last appearance of Guga as a professional tennis player on Brazilian soil.
"This tournament will be a privilege. It will be one last opportunity. I am giving myself this present. Being able to play in Florianopolis in front of all my friends and family will be great. The tournament will have a special meaning to me," said the former world No. 1.
The challenger, which is considered to be lower level competition by the Association of Tennis Professionals, the ATP, will be a great chance for Guga to win a game in his farewell tour. Although the athlete suffers from chronic pain in this quadricep, Guga hopes that his experience will help him to victory.
"Nowadays, it is difficult to expect a victory in a challenger like this. Your competitions are guys that are ranked between 150th and 200th worldwide. They are in much better shape than I and have much better coordination than I. I do, however, have years of experience and knowledge of the game that these guys don't have," explained Kuerten.
Guga began his farewell tour with the Brazil Open. However, he was eliminated in the first round and was in visible pain due to his quadricep. Before the competition in Florianopolis, Guga will play in the Masters Series in Miami towards the end of March.
After his last game as a pro in Brazil, the tennis player will head to the Masters Series of Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg. His last appearance in the ATP tennis world will be at the Roland Garros, which begins in the end of May.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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