OEIRAS/STARNBERG, April 9, 2022

Home favourite Gasto Elias and Italy’s Alessandro Giannessi will compete in Sunday’s singles final of the Oeiras Open 2. Elias, who captured the title of the €45,730 ATP Challenger Tour clay-court tournament at the Centro Desportivo Nacional Do Jamo in May last season as well as last Sunday, knocked out No. 2 seed Zdenek Kolar from the Czech Republic in the stage of the last four on Saturday, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

The 31-year-old Portuguese sent down seven aces and won 62 per cent of the total point played to secure victory in one hour and 55 minutes.

Gastão Elias looked completely out of the match during the opening set, but somehow managed to fight back and force a decisive against Zdenek Kolar. Only one set away from playing back-to-back @ATPChallenger at the #OeirasOpen… pic.twitter.com/c0zLTrBhoq

— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) April 9, 2022

“I don’t really know how I turned this match around,” Elias said. “At the beginning it looked like I was going to experience a very unfortunate outcome, because I felt that my opponent was doing well. He played consistent and very aggressive, without taking big risks, which left me frustrated and not knowing what to do. Physically it was not one of my best days but I was improving.”

Giannessi outlasts Kolar

Earlier in the day, Giannessi also overcame a one set deficit to fight past No. 7 seed Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia 2-6, 6-4, 7-5. The fifth favourite capitalized on five of his 13 break-point chances to prevail after two hours and 40 minutes.

“It’s been two demanding weeks, but I’m very satisfied with the result,” said Giannessi.

Elias is bidding for his 10th ATP Challenger career title, his third in Oeiras. Giannessi could hoist his fourth ATP Challenger career trophy, his first since Vicenza in June 2019. The pair’s head-to head record is tied at 1-1.

Borges/Cabral triumph in doubles again

In other action, Nuno Borges and Francisco Cabral earned back-to-back doubles trophies at the Oeiras Open and claimed their eighth team title, all of them won within the last 12 months. The top seeds from Portugal defeated the all-Czech combination of Zdenek Kolar and Adam Pavlasek 6-4, 6-0 in the final. The encounter lasted 49 minutes.

Borges and Cabral split €2,670 in prize money and pocketed 80 ATP Doubles Ranking points.

Francisco Cabral & Nuno Borges, #OeirasOpen champions for a second week in a row. pic.twitter.com/TrO9uv5mqR

— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) April 9, 2022