Roberto Bautistaworld number 60, has surpassed the Czech Jiri Lehecka (33rd) in the ATP indoor hard court final Antwerp (Belgium) by 7-5 and 6-1 in just 1h.15′ of play, a sign of an exceptional performance by the player from Castellón against another young man with a lot of future potential at 22 years old.
@BautistaAgut conquer Antwerp and re-enter the top 50 in the world. #TheTennisCourt pic.twitter.com/pqMVDYlOT6
— Tennis on Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarTenis) October 20, 2024
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Champion again at 36 years old, Bautista surpassed the best mark of Rafael Nadalwho won his last title at Roland Garros’2022 at 35 years old. The Castellón native became the second oldest Spaniard to win on the ATP circuit, surpassed only by Feli Lopezchampion of Queen’s’2019 at 37 years old.
Only this season the Serbian Novak Djokovic won the title older than him when he won the Olympic gold of Games in Paris at 37 years old. Bautista thus ended a streak of more than two years without titles, as he reigned on the clay of Kitzbühel (Austria) in July 2022.
“This title is very special.” Those were Roberto’s first words in court after sealing his victory over Lehecka. “I broke my leg last year and I had to fight hard since then, also playing the previous stages. I dropped to number 122 in the ranking, but I continued to work with a smile on my face and I deserve to have a week like this,” he said. said Bautista who was obviously excited.
“I did a lot of things well and I’m proud. It took me a while, but this is how I won my 12th title,” added the Castellón native, who has played in 11 more ATP finals, the most important of Shanghai’2016his only Masters 1,000 category, when he lost in the semifinals Novak Djokovic before giving up in the final match Andy Murray.
Source: La Verdad
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