Berliner Tageblatt - Tabilo stuns Musetti for Chengdu title, Bublik wins in Hangzhou

NYSE - LSE
CMSC 0.16% 21.31 $
CMSD 0.09% 21.18 $
RBGPF -0.62% 70.69 $
JRI -0.32% 12.4 $
RYCEF -0.48% 20.75 $
BTI -2.06% 56.28 $
NGG -1.38% 79.43 $
VOD -0.38% 15.88 $
BCE -0.38% 23.4 $
BP -0.38% 42.34 $
BCC -1.49% 78.77 $
AZN -1.06% 164.52 $
RELX 2.64% 36.3 $
RIO 0.08% 104.78 $
GSK -2.31% 50.27 $
Tabilo stuns Musetti for Chengdu title, Bublik wins in Hangzhou
Tabilo stuns Musetti for Chengdu title, Bublik wins in Hangzhou / Photo: © AFP

Tabilo stuns Musetti for Chengdu title, Bublik wins in Hangzhou

Qualifier Alejandro Tabilo saved two championship points in stunning top seed Lorenzo Musetti to win a nail-biting Chengdu Open final on Tuesday.

Text size:

The Chilean won his first ATP Tour title of the year and third of his career with a gutsy 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/5) victory in southwestern China.

The 112th-ranked Tabilo was staring defeat in the face but bravely saved two match points to force a final-set tie break.

He was then 1-4 down in the tie break before levelling at 4-4 and eventually pulling through for a surprise victory over the more fancied Italian.

"It was an amazing match," said the Canada-born 28-year-old, who has struggled with injuries and form this season.

"Just had to stay there mentally and physically.

"Just so happy... it's unbelievable."

It was the second year in a row that Musetti, ranked ninth in the world, had lost the final.

Also in China, Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan won his fourth title of a brilliant year with a similarly battling win over Valentin Royer.

Third seed Bublik defeated the stubborn French qualifier 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4) in just under two hours in the final of the Hangzhou Open.

The men's and women's China Open begins this week in the capital Beijing.

O.Bulka--BTB