Roberto Bautista Agut, at 36 years of age, picks up his first title in two years, winning the European Open in Antwerp by defeating Jiri Lehecka in the final, 7-5 6-1.
I think I deserved a week like this Roberto Bautista Agut
The Spanish veteran top-spinned his way to victory in 75-minutes and was ruthless in his approach and stubborn in his defensive play.
“This one is very special,” Bautista Agut said on winning his 12th title. “I broke my foot last year and I had to fight so hard this year. I went back to 120 in the world, but I was still going to practice with a smile on my face, trying to be a better player, to fight until the end of my career. I think I deserved a week like this.”
With the win he hopes his ranking will improve dramatically taking him into the top 50.
Tommy Paul wins his third title of the season
(Photo by Zhe Ji/Getty Images)
Tommy Paul has regained the Nordic Open title he first won in the Swedish capital in 2021 by easing past the third seeded Grigor Dimitrov, also a former champion of the event, 6-4 6-3.
“I feel like every match I played a little bit better and better,” Paul said of his performances during the week in which he didn’t drop a set. “Today I came out playing amazing, so I was definitely happy with the performance.”
By claiming his third title of the season, the American has improved his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin where he now sits in 10th place after the 85-minute victory.
“It’s a very special place for me,” Paul added during the trophy ceremony. “This is where I got my first title a few years ago and to come out and play the level of tennis I did this week, it’s been a dream.”
Paul is the fourth player to win at least three tour-level titles this season, joining Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Matteo Berrettini.
Karen Khachanov celebrates with his trophy
(Photo by RUSLAN PRYANIKOV/AFP via Getty Images)
Earlier in the day and on the other side of Europe, Karen Khachanov claimed the Almaty Open title in Kazakhstan but had to battle hard before lifting the trophy for his 7th tour title.
Seeded three he had to fend off the aggressive play of the unseeded Canadian Gabriel Diallo and eventually emerged victorious after two-hours and 22-minutes,
“A lot of emotions, now I’m relieved and super happy,” Khachanov, who improved to 7-2 in tour-level finals, said. “You can’t expect a final to be easy, without tension, but it was until 6-2 4-2. Then he started to relax, go for his shots a little bit more, and he suddenly turned the match around.”
