SALVADOR DE BAHIA/STARNBERG, May 9, 2022
Joao Domingues captured the title of the Challenger 80 Dove Men+Care Salvador hosted by the Costa Verde Tenis Clube in Salvador de Bahia. The unseeded Portuguese upset the top seed of the $53,120 ATP Challenger Tour clay-court event and World No. 145 Tomas Barrios Vera of Chile 7-6(9), 6-1 in Sunday’s singles final.
In the pair’s first meeting, Domingues sent down six aces and won 70 per cent of his first-service points to prevail after exactly two hours of play. The 28-year-old from Oliveira de Azemeis, who dropped two sets during the week in Brazil’s third-largest city, lifted his third Challenger career trophy, his first since his triumph on home soil at the Braga Open three years ago.
A long-awaited return to titletown for Joao Domingues 🏆
The 🇵🇹 claims his third #ATPChallenger title and first since 2019, prevailing in Salvador de Bahia. pic.twitter.com/3vkZfvPKrT
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) May 8, 2022
“It was an amazing week for me. In the last two years I have had physical problems and been through some very difficult times. I haven’t won a Challenger since 2019, so I am very happy,” Domingues said.
The World No. 389 earned $7,200 in prize money as well as 80 ATP Ranking points.
