Van Ase and Halys Claim First ATP Titles
French tennis player Luca Van Ase defeated Alexander Blockx in the Estoril final on Sunday to win his first ATP title, while Quentin Halys also earned his maiden trophy in Kitzbühel.
Luca Van Ase, ranked 78th in the world, won his first ATP Tour title on Sunday in Estoril. The Frenchman defeated Belgium’s Alexander Blockx (ATP 38) 6:4, 4:6, 7:5 in the final. Despite being the underdog, Van Ase compensated for a lower percentage of points won on second serve (24% vs 36%) with an excellent first-serve percentage (82% vs 45%). He also won more total points (98 to 92) and converted more break points (8/13 vs 7/10). The aces-to-double-faults ratio was 1-8 vs 7-7.
The 22-year-old earned 250 ranking points and €93,175 in prize money. He will rise to a career-high ranking of 43rd. For Blockx, 21, it was his first ATP final and he is still seeking his first title.
In another ATP 250 event in Kitzbühel, Frenchman Quentin Halys (ATP 83) captured his first title at age 29, surprising Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik (ATP 11) 6:4, 7:6 in the final.
