PORTO/STARNBERG, July 11, 2022
Altug Celikbilek has successfully defended his Porto Open title. The 25-year-old from Turkey benefited from the retirement of Australia’s Christopher O’Connell in Sunday’s championship match held at the Complexo Desportivo do Monte Aventino. Celikbilek was leading 7-6(5), 3-1 when O’Connell was forced to stop playing with a right leg injury.
Celikbilek, unseeded at the €45,730 ATP Challenger Tour hard-court tournament, battled his way to the final through the top half of the draw without dropping a set beating Renzo Olivo of Argentina, Frenchman Antoine Escoffier, No. 6 seed Egor Gerasimov of Belarus and top seed James Duckworth from Australia.
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“It’s very special,” said Celikbilek. “I was struggling all the season, so it was a very important title for me. Winning in Porto gives me the right vibe again.”
By lifting his third ATP Challenger Tour career trophy, his first of the season, the Antalya native earned €6,190 in prize money as well as 80 ATP Ranking points. Celikbilek rises to 165th position, just 11 places off his career high.
