BRAGA/STARNBERG, October 6, 2024
Elmer Moller is the champion of the 2024 Braga Open, an ATP Challenger Tour tournament organized by the Portuguese Tennis Federation and the Braga Tennis Club, with the support of the Braga City Council. The 21-year-old Danish secured the most significant title of his career with this win.
In Sunday’s final, played on indoor courts like most of the tournament, World No. 231 Moller defeated No. 5 seed Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia 6-4, 7-6(4).
Primeiro título challenger para Elmer Moller. O jovem dinamarquês de 21 anos (esquerda fabulosa) venceu a sexta edição (chuvosa) do Braga Open ao bater o (mais cotado, ex-56) colombiano Daniel Galan por 6-4, 7-6(4). Veio do qualifying e não perdeu sets! pic.twitter.com/ZQdPKWAPpV
— Steve Grácio (@stevefgracio) October 6, 2024
The pair’s first meeting lasted one hour and 43 minutes and it marked Moller’s seventh career title on the Pro Circuit and third in 2024. However, it is his biggest triumph so far, being his first triumph on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Coming from the qualifying rounds, Moller secured his 10th win in Portugal over two weeks, not dropping a single set throughout the tournament. He beat notable players such as home favourite Frederico Silva, No. 7 seed Vit Kopriva of Slovakia, sixth-seeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas, and finally, Elahi Galan, a former top-60 player.
Moller dominated the final with strong serving, allowing only one break point throughout the match, even though Galan hit more aces (eight compared to Moller’s six). Unlike his two previous ATP Challenger final appearances, Moller closed out the match in straight sets, winning seven of the last eight points after trailing 0-3 in the tie-break.
“I am very happy with how mentally consistent I was throughout the week. I felt great and tried not to worry too much about the conditions or when things didn’t go my way. I stayed solid, which made everything simpler,” said Moller, who earned €10,200 in prize money as well as 75 ATP Ranking points..
“I didn’t come with big expectations, just to give my best, and it turned into two incredible weeks. I’m very happy, but also a bit tired,” he added, highlighting the importance of playing aggressively and serving better than he had previously.
Moller now joins the ranks of previous Braga Open champions, including Pedro Sousa (2018), Joao Domingues (2019), Thiago Monteiro (2021), Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (2022), and Oriol Roca Batalla (2023), in what was the eighth of nine ATP Challenger Tour tournaments held in Portugal this year.
