LISBON/STARNBERG, September 30, 2024
Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva and Alexander Ritschard claimed victory at the prestigious Del Monte Lisboa Belém Open, making history at this combined ATP Challenger 100 and ITF World Tennis Tour W75 event held at the Club Internacional de Foot-Ball from September 22 to 29. The tournament was organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation and MP Tennis with support from the Lisbon City Council and Belém Parish.
Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva (photo: Beatriz Ruivo/FPT and Sara Falcão/FPT)
Kasintseva, a rising tennis star from Andorra, triumphed over Spain’s Guiomar Maristany in Sunday’s final, winning 6-4, 6-2. The 19-year-old, a former world junior No. 1, secured the biggest title of her career following four ITF W25 triumphs. Despite facing challenging matches, including a comeback from a 6-0, 3-0 deficit in the quarterfinals, her aggressive play led her to a well-deserved victory.
In the men’s final, Switzerland’s Ritschard defeated Belgium’s Raphael Collignon in a thrilling match, winning 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3. Ritschard secured his fourth ATP Challenger career title and third of 2024. His victory could propel him into the top 100 rankings for the first time in his career.
Relief for Alexander Ritschard
The 30-year-old battles past Collignon 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 to claim his third title of the year in Lisbon!#ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/oycoHTnjoZ
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) September 29, 2024
The clay-court event, considered the strongest edition yet, attracted large crowds and highlighted the continued growth of tennis in Portugal.
