This was a long time coming for Marcos. After five years, he returned to the winners' circle, claiming the title at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Shenzhen, China. Seeded second, he defeated Stefano Napolitano 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in Sunday's final, capping a strong week in the Chinese city.
Earlier in the week, Marcos defeated Sasi Kumar Mukund in straight sets, followed by another convincing win over Aleksandr Nedovyesov. He would overcome fifth seed Soon-woo Kwon in the quarterfinals, before ousting France's Baptiste Crepatte in Saturday's semis and Napolitano for the championship.
Marcos had not lifted a trophy since the 2014 Challenger event in Geneva, Switzerland. But this was his week to shine. At No. 129 in the ATP Rankings, he is pushing towards a Top 100 return. Having also secured a signature Top 20 win over Lucas Pouille last month in Montpellier, Marcos is making his move in the early stages of the year.
A small hamstring injury will sideline Marcos from next week's tournament in nearby Zhangjiagang, but he will be back on tour shortly and eager to carry the momentum forward.
