MORELIA/STARNBERG, March 31, 2025
Dmitry Popko was crowned champion of the inaugural Morelia Open on Sunday. The 28-year-old alternate from Kazakhstan rallied from a set down to overcome top seed James Duckworth of Australia 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the singles final.
Popko battled his way to the title match with wins in the bottom half of draw of the ATP Challenger Tour 125 hard-court event over Frenchmen Terence Atmane and Adrian Mannarino, No. 4 seed Thiago Tirante from Argentina, as well as Hugor Grenier of France.
Popko struck eight aces and won 59 per cent of his first-service points. The native of St. Petersburg in Russia broke Duckworth’s serve three times to prevail after one hour and 46 minutes.
Victorious in Morelia
Dmitry Popko storms back to down Duckworth 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 and claim a second career title! #ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/TKnxDwPv3F
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) March 31, 2025
By winning his second ATP Challenger Tour career crown following his maiden triumph at the Lisboa Belem Open in Portugal 2021, Popko earned $28,400 in prize money as well as 125 ATP Ranking points.
“I’m very happy with this second title. I didn’t expect it, especially on a hard court, so I feel incredibly happy,” said Popko. “The first set was full of ups and downs. It felt very long and challenging, but then everything started to improve. From that moment on, I became more aggressive on the court, and everything turned out completely different.”
The first edition of the Morelia Open offered a total prize pool of $200,000 and was hosted by the Club de Golf Tres Marias in Morelia. The capital of Michoacán, Mexico, is a city rich in history and colonial charm. Founded in 1541, it boasts stunning architecture, with the iconic Morelia Cathedral dominating its UNESCO-listed historic center.
The city with about 850,000 inhabitants is known for its vibrant cultural scene, delicious traditional cuisine, and annual festivals, including the Morelia International Film Festival.
