SALINAS, May 3, 2021
Top seed and home favourite Emilio Gomez clinched the title of the $36,680 Challenger de Salinas II held on the hard courts of the Salinas Golf & Tennis Club in Salinas, Ecuador. The World No. 190 fought past Nicolas Jarry of Chile, champion of last week’s ATP Challenger 80 event held at the same place, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in the singles final. The encounter was suspended on Sunday at 3-3 in the third set due to darkness and resumed at 11 am local time on Monday.
Gomez advanced to the championship match with wins over Vladyslav Orlov from the Ukraine, Camilo Udo Carabelli of Argentina, No. 5 seed Hiroki Moriya from Japan and Argentine young gun Thiago Agustin Tirante. The 29-year-old Guayaquil native withstood 11 aces in the final and converted one of his five break-point chances to secure victory in two hours and 33 minutes.
That feeling when you win on home soil 🙌@emiliogomez91 is the first 🇪🇨 to triumph in Ecuador since @Giovalapentti in 2010. Vamos Emilio!!
Champion at @SalinasOpenEc 🏆 pic.twitter.com/tx15WUKUAq
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 3, 2021
By lifting his second ATP Challenger career trophy following his maiden triumph at Tallahassee, United States two years ago, Gomez pocketed $5,150 in prize money as well as 50 ATP Ranking points.
On Saturday, Nicolas Barrientos of Colombia and Sergio Galdos from Peru were crowned doubles champions in Salinas. The No. 2 seeds received a walkover from wild card entries Antonio Cayetano March from Ecuador and Thiago Agustin Tirante in the final. Tirante was not able to compete due to cramping.
Barrientos and Galdos split $2,000 in prize money and earned 50 ATP Doubles Ranking points.
