In an exhilarating showdown at the Chengdu Open, Alejandro Tabilo emerged victorious, fulfilling his goal of clinching the title after a thrilling battle against Lorenzo Musetti. The final, lasting two hours and 37 minutes, saw Tabilo claim the championship with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(3). The Chilean qualifier demonstrated remarkable mental resilience, saving two championship points at 5-6 in the third set before rallying from a 1-4 deficit in the decisive tiebreak.
Tabilo, who is now a three-time titleholder and celebrated his first win of the current season, expressed his joy and relief following the match. “I was so happy to make those first serves on match points. It was an incredible effort from the team also. It has been a long two weeks and I am just so happy,” he stated. This victory marks a significant turnaround for Tabilo, who had previously been sidelined for two months due to a wrist injury and entered Chengdu with only five Tour victories under his belt.
Despite the numbers in the match statistics—where Tabilo struck 29 winners compared to Musetti’s 37 and committed 44 unforced errors against Musetti’s 23—the crucial points were where Tabilo found his rhythm and made pivotal plays, notably the forehand winner on his first match point and forcing an error from his opponent on the second.
Meanwhile, at the Hangzhou Open, Alexander Bublik captured the title, further solidifying his status in the ATP rankings. The Kazakhstani third seed triumphed over French qualifier Valentin Royer in a tightly contested final that concluded with identical tiebreak scores of 7-6(4), 7-6(4). Bublik maintained an impressive streak, finishing the tournament without being broken, making him one of the few players, alongside Taylor Fritz, to achieve such a feat this season.
Reflecting on his recent successes, Bublik remarked, “Honestly I always say that wins don’t make me go through the roof and losses don’t put me to the ground. I try to stay stable. I enjoy what I do. I’m happy that I’m able to travel, play tournaments and stay healthy, and the wins are coming… That’s beautiful.” In the final, although he struggled initially, Bublik harnessed his unconventional style and powerful serves, delivering 21 aces while expertly defending against two break points.
Valentin Royer, competing in his inaugural ATP Tour final, drew much acclaim for his performance throughout the tournament, notably defeating top seed Andrey Rublev in earlier rounds. Although he fell short against Bublik, Royer’s efforts will see him jump 13 places in the rankings to a personal best of No. 75, reflecting a promising future in his burgeoning career.
Both Tabilo and Bublik’s victories this week shine a light on the excitement and unpredictability that the sport offers, as they continue to make their marks on the ATP Tour as players to watch in the upcoming months.
