Roman Safiullin survives by two championship points, winning Cary Challenger | ATP Tour

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Safiullin survives by two championship points, winning the Cary Challenger

Dzumhur collects a season-best fourth Challenger title

August 19, 2024

Top seed Roman Safiullin made a stunning comeback on Saturday at the Cary Tennis Classic, where he saved two championship points to claim his fifth ATP Challenger Tour title.

The 27-year-old escaped Mattia Bellucci 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the final, where he qualified for Italy’s best 6-1, 4-1. Safiullin was down two tournament points when serving at 4-5 in the second set, but found a way to turn the game around and lift the trophy after two hours, 53 minutes. Appearing to fade physically in the final stages, Safiullin let out a breather when he converted his eighth championship point.

“I just decided to throw the ball back [in play]try to let him win it and make mistakes and play good football. At the end of the game, I was able to turn it around,” Safiullin told analyst Rob Werner.

“It was very hot today. It was tough in terms of conditions, but I’m glad I made it. It was a very good test for me before New York, because New York will have the same conditions.”

After his title run, Safiullin rose seven places to No. 57 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings. He was playing his fifth Challenger event since September 2022.

Now 5-0 in Challenger finals, Safiullin is the sixth player inside the Top 70 to win a title this year at that level. Safiullin last year became the first player since Nick Kyrgios in 2014 to win the Challenger title and reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in the same season.

In other Challenger action, Damir Dzumhur became the first player this season to win four trophies at that level with his victory at the RD Open 2024 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The 32-year-old defeated Ecuador’s lucky loser Andres Andrade 6-4, 6-4 in the final.

Damir Dzumhur in action at the Santo Domingo Challenger.”>
^{Damir Dzumhur playing in the Santo Domingo Challenger. Credit: Gabriela Ascuasiati}

Dzumhur won the first edition of the Santo Domingo Challenger in 2015 and nine years later, the Bosnian returned to the winner’s circle for his 12th Challenger crown.

Coming into the tournament, former World No. 23 is back in the Top 100 for the first time in four and a half years. Dzumhur climbed to No. 81 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, his highest ranking since June 2019.

Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler dropped one set all week at the Kozerki Open in Poland, where he ran past top seed Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-4 in the final. The 29-year-old won his sixth Challenger title and started from April 2022.

“I worked well this week, played good tennis and managed to save a lot of break points. That helped,” said Huesler, who dropped serve once all week, saving nine of 10 break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. “In the finals, as soon as I got stronger, I served for the first time, so that helped me a lot and I was able to finish the week. It also allows me to be more aggressive on my return and take fewer risks.

“I didn’t expect much this week because I didn’t have any hard preparations for the court. I realized that if your expectations are low, at the end of the week you are standing here as a winner.”

Marc-Andrea Huesler is pictured with the Grodzisk Mazowiecki ballkids after the cup ceremony.”>
^{Marc-Andrea Huesler tackles the Grodzisk Mazowiecki ballkids after the cup ceremony. Credit: Kozerki Open}

Carlos Taberner went further than his first match last week in Cordenons by winning the Internazionali di Tennis Citta di Todi Sidernestor Tennis Cup. The Spaniard’s consistency helped him down Argentina’s Santiago Rodriguez Taverna 6-4, 6-3 in the final to clinch his seventh ATP Challenger Tour title.

“I am very happy to get this title. “Perhaps by scoring, the final was the only one of my last three matches that I won in two sets, but it was not easy,” said Taberner. “It was very difficult. I’m very happy because I think I’ve been playing at the same level all the time.”

Carlos Taberner celebrates winning the Challenger 75 event in Todi, Italy.”>
^{Carlos Taberner celebrates winning the Challenger 75 event in Todi, Italy. Credit: Yuri Serafini}