VALE DO LOBO, November 27, 2023

Khomoyun Sultanov claimed the title of the Vale do Lobo Open II, an ITF World Tennis Tour M25 tournament organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation at the Vale do Lobo Tennis Academy from November 19 to 26, securing his fourth career title and the first in 2023.

A day after defeating the tournament’s top favorite Henrique Rocha of Portugal, the best tennis player from Uzbekistan triumphed in the final against World No. 253 Jules Marie of France, winning 6-4, 7-6(11).

After losing three finals, one of them was his maiden ATP Challenger championship match on home soil in Astana this season, Sultanov left Vale do Lobo with his fourth career title in nine final appearances. For Marie, it was his 30th final but he couldn’t add another trophy to the 17 he has already won – three of them in Portugal (Porto Open 2023 and two ITF tournaments in Guimarães in 2013).

The final lasted two hours and eight minutes with nine service breaks between the two players, five in favor of the winner.

Sixth-seeded Sultanov started strong with a 4-0 lead, but No. 2 seed Marie caught up to four games, yet Sultanov managed to halt the 32-year-old opponent’s comeback in the opening set.

In the second set, it was the Frenchman who took a 3-1 lead and the 25-year-old Asian had to overcome not only that disadvantage but also four set points to avoid a third set.

The Vale do Lobo Open II was the 17th and final ITF World Tennis Tour M25 tournament to take place in Portugal during 2023, ending the year with the eighth ATP Challenger Tour tournament in Maia, which began Sunday.