ANTWERP/WASHINGTON, October 20, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)
Roberto Bautista Agut proved once again that there’s no substitute for experience.
Sunday afternoon, playing inspiring tennis before an appreciative audience, the 36-year-old from Castellón de la Plana, Spain won the European Open at sold-out Lotto Arena in Antwerp.
The 60th-ranked Bautista Agut’s 7-5, 6-1 victory over No. 5 seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic lasted a very brief time — just 75 minutes — but it brought out the best in him. With a beautiful forehand winner on the 17th shot of a magnificent final rally — his 16th winner on the day — the proud, hard-working Spaniard wrapped up the title match in the Belgium capital city. Then, he let his emotions flow in celebrating his triumph. Soon after, Bautista Agut was FaceTiming with his family back home on his smartphone while seated at his bench, smiling, waiting for the trophy ceremony to commence.
“This one is very special, no?” Bautista Agut said in his on-court interview, after he improved his tour-level finals win-loss record to 12-11. “I broke my foot last year and I had to fight so hard this year. I played so many qualies. I went back to [No.] 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.
“And, well, I think I deserved a lot, one week like this one.”
Game set match!
@BautistaAgut is our 2024 champion
He wins the final 7-5 6-1 #EuropeanOpen #ATPTour #Tennis pic.twitter.com/hxanaDE3uc
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2024
Bautista Agut dominated all of the important statistical categories against Lehecka. He won 79 percent of his first-serve points, hit 16 winners to 13 unforced errors and converted four of six break points. Bautista Agut outpointed his overwhelmed opponent, 66-41, winning four service games at love. Although Lehecka managed 12 aces and hit 22 overall winners, he also made 24 unforced errors and, throughout, had trouble winning sustained rallies.
Sunday’s triumph avenged a recent 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 second-round loss Bautista Agut suffered against the World No. 33 Lehecka in Beijing. He’s now 4-1 lifetime versus the 22-year-old Czech after preventing him from winning his second ATP Tour title of the year.
Meanwhile, the title trophy was the 12th of Bautista Agut’s career and his first one since winning at Kitzbühel in 2022. It was his first indoor crown since lifting the trophy at Sofia in 2016.
The moment @BautistaAgut captured the title ✨@EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/P1gjzFik8R
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 20, 2024
There are other milestones worthy of recognition as a result of Bautista Agut’s title victory. He’s the second-oldest tour-level champion this year after Novak Djokovic, 37, at the Paris Olympics and the second oldest ATP Tour champion from Spain after Feliciano Lopez, won the 2019 Queen’s Club trophy at age 37.
Best of all, Bautista Agut will return to the top 50 of the PIF ATP Rankings tomorrow for the first time in a year.
“You cannot imagine how happy I am inside [of me], no?” Bautista Agut said. “I’m very proud of myself. I worked a lot; I did so many good things. It took me awhile, but I have my first title here.”
@BautistaAgut | @EuroTennisOpen | #EuropeanOpen pic.twitter.com/uhEPaAxmPj
— ATP Tour en Español (@ATPTour_ES) October 20, 2024
Erler and Miedler win sixth doubles title together
Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler, the first Austrian team to play in a European Open final, won their second indoor doubles title as a team — and sixth crown overall — with their 6-4, 1-6, 10-8 victory over unseeded Robert Galloway of the United States and Aleksandr Nedovyesov of Kazakhstan in one hour and 12 minutes on Centre Court. It was their second match tie-break of the tournament.
Erler and Miedler, currently ranked 23rd in the PIF ATP Doubles team Rankings, improved to 20-16 this season and 64-50 lifetime as a pair after collecting their first title of the season in their third final (after Rio and Marrakech). The title triumph was their first indoors since 2022 at Vienna.
@miedler21 and A. Erler with the doubles trophy
Congrats! #EuropeanOpen #ATPTour #Doubles pic.twitter.com/XzUTrkuzrJ
— European Open (@EuroTennisOpen) October 20, 2024
