VALE DO LOBO/STARNBERG, November 25, 2024

Frederico Silva came close to celebrating back-to-back titles for the first time in his career but fell short in the final of the Vale do Lobo Open III, an ITF World Tennis Tour M25 event held at the Vale do Lobo Tennis Academy in Portugal. A week after winning his third title of the season and the 19th of his career at the same venue, the 29-year-old Portuguese player lost to the tournament’s top seed Gauthier Onclin of Belgium.

In a matchup between the two highest seeds, Silva, ranked World No. 384, squandered a 5-3 lead in the first set and ultimately succumbed 7-5, 6-1 in a match lasting two hours and 22 minutes. World No. 264 Onclin secured his second Pro Circuit title of the season and the 11th of his career, avenging losses to Silva in previous matches.

Silva acknowledged fatigue as a factor in his performance, saying, “I played a good first set and had chances to close it, but it slipped away. In the second set, I couldn’t manage well after the tough first set, and he gave me no opportunities to recover. He played a great final.”

Onclin, coached by former top-40 player Steve Darcis, highlighted his improved consistency and decision-making compared to their previous encounter, saying, “Last week, I didn’t take my chances. Today, I was more solid and capitalized better. The first set was crucial, and I knew he had played many matches recently.”

While Silva prepares for the final ATP Challenger Tour event of the year in Maia, Portugal, where he will face Damir Dzumhur in the first round, Onclin heads to Monastir, Tunisia, with hopes of securing a spot in the Australian Open qualifiers.