OEIRAS/STARNBERG, April 18, 2026
Home favourite Henrique Rocha fell just short of reaching the biggest final of his career, missing out on a place in Sunday’s championship match at the Oeiras Open 125. The Portuguese hope was denied by Roman Safiullin, who produced a composed 6-4, 6-4 victory to advance to the most significant clay-court final of his career.
Henrique Rocha perde por 6-4 e 6-4 com Roman Safiullin e falha a maior final da carreira no Oeiras Open 125. Teve um break de vantagem em ambos os sets.
Quarta vitória do russo contra um português esta semana. É o único torneio de terra batida em que se dá bem (SF em 2025). pic.twitter.com/GuL6IhBsH8
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) April 18, 2026
Competing for the fifth consecutive day, Rocha—currently at a career-high ranking of No. 126—became the fourth Portuguese player defeated by Safiullin this week. The former Top 40 player, who is returning from injury, showed no signs of fatigue despite playing his sixth match of the tournament. Having already saved a match point against Jaime Faria in the quarterfinals, Safiullin once again silenced the home crowd at the historic Jamor Central Court with a solid all-around performance.
Rocha, by contrast, struggled to replicate the level that had carried him through the earlier rounds. The 22-year-old’s serve proved particularly costly, as he landed just 48 per cent of his first serves and committed several double faults at crucial moments. Despite taking early leads in both sets, he was unable to maintain control and ultimately saw his bid for a seventh ATP Challenger final slip away.
Awaiting Safiullin in the final will be top seed Valentin Royer, who delivered a dominant performance to defeat Dutch lucky loser Max Houkes 6-2, 6-3. Ranked No. 76 in the world, Royer opted to compete in Oeiras as preparation for the upcoming ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome—a decision that has paid off as he reaches his first final of the season.
Balaji/Oberleitner triumph in doubles
The doubles final delivered high drama, as Sriram Balaji and Neil Oberleitner saved a match point to edge past Nicolas Barrientos and Ariel Behar 6-7(7), 6-4, 11-9 and capture their fourth title of the season.
All four of their titles have come on the Challenger Circuit, with three at the ATP Challenger 125 level. For 36-year-old Balaji, the victory marked the 61st title of his career, while his Austrian partner Oberleitner, ten years his junior, celebrated his 44th career triumph.
