BANJA LUKA, September 21, 2015

After a Sunday washout, the final of the € 64,500 Banja Luka Challenger took place on Monday, when the sun returned to the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the Serbian part – the Republika Srpska entity.

After Victor Troicki’s triumph last year, another Serbian made it to the final of the 2015 edition. Consequently, a lot of spectators attended the match when third seed Dusan Lajovic took on Victor Hanescu for the first time on the tour.

The world number 96 from Belgrade has reached the tournament’s climax without dropping a set and also had the better start into the final. Lajovic saved two break points he had to face, taking the opening frame in the tie-break.

Hanescu gained his first break in the first game of the second set but wasn’t able to consolidate and Lajovic, who hit six aces, was able to win another tie-break and therewith the encounter after one hour and 56 minutes.

Lajovic, who earns € 9,200 in prize money and receives 100 ATP ranking points, claims his fourth ATP Challenger title, his first since lifting in the trophy in Seoul in 2013.