Just over a week ago, France’s Stéphane Robert was keeping his pal Roger Federer in shape on a packed practice court in Melbourne.
Sunday, likely in front of the same number of people, he became the second-oldest Challenger winner ever in Burnie, Tasmania.
At 37 years, eight months, Robert is short of the record holder, Dick Norman of Belgium.
Norman was a month past his 38th birthday when he went from the qualifying through to the title at a $35,000 Challenger in Mexico City.
Also a shutout to Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, who reached three Challenger finals in 2016, at age 38.