OEIRAS, April 4, 2021
Zdenek Kolar from the Czech Republic has clinched his maiden ATP Challenger Tour title by winning the €31,440 Oeiras Open 1 held at the Complexo Desportivo Nacional do Jamor in Oeiras, Portugal. The No. 8 seed defeated local wild card entry Gastao Elias 6-4, 7-5 in Sunday’s singles final.
Kolar, who only dropped one set during the week in his opening round match against Portuguese Nuno Borges, capitalized on five of his nine break-point opportunities to secure victory in one hour and 51 minutes.
“This title will remain in my memory throughout my career and my whole life,” said Kolar, who pocketed €4,400 in prize money as well as 50 ATP Ranking points.
“It has been a fantastic week for me and I am happy to win the title in Portugal, a very pleasant country. The feeling of winning is extraordinary and I can only thank the organization and all the very nice people I came across.”
A first title for Zdenek Kolar, claiming the Challenger 50 in Oeiras.
After dropping his opening set of the tournament, the 🇨🇿 reels off 10 in a row to lift the 🏆 pic.twitter.com/yw14AQLccq
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) April 4, 2021
Elias appeared in his first Challenger final on home soil. “I haven’t played five consecutive matches on clay in a long time and I ended the tournament without injuries. I had five intense matches, so it’s a very positive week. Of course, I am disappointed having lost, because it was a great opportunity but I couldn’t play my best today and credit goes to my opponent,” the World No. 358 said.
The ATP Challenger Tour will stay in the western part of Lisbon metropolitan area with the Oeiras Open 2 kicking off Monday.
