The American Mackenzie McDonald lifted the Shenzhen Longhua Open Challenger title, his fourth in a career. Mackenzie faced Arthur Cazaux in the title clash and prevailed 6-4, 7-6 in an hour and 47 minutes for his first trophy since Nur-Sultan 1 in February 2021!
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The 29-year-old scored a career-high 33 ATP wins in 2023, wrapping up the season just outside the top-40. Instead of building on that, McDonald made a slow start to the 2024 season, kicking off the action with three losses and missing three and a half months due to a shoulder injury.
The American earned three wins in the opening 15 matches of the season, improving that in July in Newport with the quarter-final run. Mackenzie won the opening set against Jannik Sinner at the US Open before falling in four sets, falling through the rankings list before raising his level in Thailand and China.
McDonald lost the Challenger finals at Nonthaburi 4 and Hangzhou events before going all the way in Shenzhen, earning 100 ATP points and moving closer to the top-100 return.
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Mackenzie McDonald secured the first Challenger title since February 2021.
The American struggled in the opening two sets against the lower-ranked Thomas Fancutt in the first round before raising his level, beating the remaining four rivals in straight sets and lifting the trophy after over three and a half years.
Mackenzie claimed five points more than Arthur, prevailing with a single break from only four break chances in the entire encounter. The American secured the opening set with three straight games from 3-4. He denied the only break point of the second set and clinched a tie break 7-4 to emerge at the top and celebrate the title.
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Cazaux saved a break point in the third game of the match with a backhand down the line winner and held, avoiding an early setback. McDonald played against a break chance in game four and denied it with a forced error, remaining on the positive side.
They served well in the next four games, locking the result at 4-4. The Frenchman missed a game point in game nine and sprayed a backhand error to experience a break point.
He netted a routine forehand, losing serve and sending his rival in front.
The American served for the opener at 5-4 and held with a service winner, wrapping up the opener in 49 minutes. The rivals provided seven comfortable holds at the beginning of the second set, staying neck and neck. Mackenzie hit a double fault in the eighth game, offering Arthur a break chance.
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The former top-40 player denied it with a service winner and held for 4-4. Cazaux stood two points from taking the set on the return at 6-5 before McDonald held to introduce a tie break. They traded early mini-breaks before the American grabbed another for a 3-2 lead.
He landed an ace for 5-2 and hit a service winner at 5-4 for two match points. Mackenzie converted the first with a service winner, celebrating his fourth Challenger title.
