Inside the middle and lower-most third of the current ATP Top 100, one can find established names–longtime masters of the minutiae of Tour-level competition, with numerous receipts to show for it (the likes of Gael Monfils, Roberto Bautista Agut, Stan Wawrinka), alongside arguable also-rans who make up the numbers but possess insufficient quality to be seen within reasonable parameters as contenders for titles (among them Arthur Rinderknech, Daniel Elahi Gal\u00e1n, Rinky Hijikata) and those who have emerged as genuine challengers (with a small c) for titles, by reason of their abilities, as well as possessing the necessary nous to defeat an elite player, in the right circumstances. Into the latter category one can justifiably insert Mariano Navone, the 23-year-old Argentine.<\/p>\n
The second half of 2023<\/a> represented Navone\u2019s acme, with five clay Challenger titles<\/a> out of a possible nine (a trophy for every six matches played), before losing his 100% finals record in Peru. That Lima loss (4\u20136, 6\u20133, 7\u20135) was to Argentine-born Italian Luciano Darderi, born a year later and possessing a playing style (as well as looks) not dissimilar to Navone\u2019s. Indeed, those two have been engaging in direct conflict recently–six meetings in as many months, with head-to-head record not favoring either (3-3 at last count)–and it can be strongly asserted that Navone will emulate his new rival\u2019s achievement of winning a first Tour-level title later in the year. <\/p>\n