A few weeks ago the current world number 1, Jannik Sinnerchosen Roberto Bautista as the most underrated player on the ATP circuit, one of those opinions may be surprising to the general public, but is highly respected in the tennis world.
Anyone who has faced the Castellón player knows that they will have to fight for every ball if they want to achieve success. Bautista has always been a very tough opponent to fight against and, from that point of view, Sinner’s words are easier to understand.
Bautista has built an enviable career from working without reservation and, without much fanfare, this Saturday he achieved on the ATP indoor hard court Antwerp (Belgium) a feat surpassed only this year by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic: At 36 years old, Bautista became the third oldest tennis player to reach the final, as published by the ATP.
The Spaniard, world number 60, defeated the Frenchman in the semifinals Hugo Gaston (77th) -6-3, 6-4 in 1h.28′- and the winner of the match between Czech Jiri Lehecka (33rd) and the American Marcos Giron (47th).
@BautistaAgut downed Gaston 6-3 6-4 to advance to Sunday’s championship.
@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/bbHNuORoqx— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 19, 2024
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Nadal (38 years old), who lost the title That’s enough in the view of Nuno Borgesand Djokovic (37), who also fell Shanghai in the view of Jannik Sinnerare the two oldest players to reach the final in 2024.
Bautista will play the final this Sunday one year and 10 months after the last, in January 2023 in Adelaidewhen he lost against South Korean Soonwoo Kwon. The player from Castellón will have the challenge of breaking two years and three months without titles, because he has not won a trophy since he won in the land of Kitzbühel in July 2022.
Bautista’s current form has convinced the Spanish captain that Davis Cup, David Ferrerto summon him to the team that will fight for the ‘Salad Bowl’ in Final 8 of Malaga (November 19-24), which has grown in size since Nadal announced his retirement there, will be the final tournament of his professional career.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
