Štrombahs claims 12th career title, first ever in Europe

Latvian tennis player Štrombahs, 26, won the final of an M15-category tournament as the clear favorite, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.32 on his victory. Seeded first, he faced a 17-year-old German opponent in the final.

How the final unfolded

The first set went to a tiebreak, where Štrombahs pulled away from a 1-1 tie to win 6-1 in the breaker, taking the set 7-2 overall. In the second set, the Latvian first fell behind by losing two games in a row, but then fought back, broke his opponent's serve, and closed out the set 6-4 to seal the match.

Statistics showed Štrombahs was sharper at key moments, converting both of his break-point chances compared to his opponent's one conversion, and outscoring him overall 69 points to 58. The match lasted one hour and 33 minutes.

Road to the final

Throughout the tournament, the Latvian did not drop a single set except in the final, where a tiebreak was needed. In the quarterfinal he defeated an Italian opponent, and in the semifinal a Dutch player, winning both matches in straight sets.

About the tournament and his career

The M15 champion receives roughly 2,160 US dollars in prize money along with 15 world ranking points. In June this year, the ITF Tour was rebranded as the World Tennis Tour, though the ATP Tour remains the top tier of men's professional tennis.

With this win, Štrombahs' career singles title tally has reached 12 — ten won in Africa, one in Asia, and now his first in Europe.