Alejandro Tabilo is enjoying a career-best season at 27! The Chilean kicked off the 2024 campaign with a trophy in Auckland and added another on Saturday in Mallorca. Tabilo claimed the ATP 250 crown on grass, becoming the first Chilean with a grass-court ATP title in the Open era!
With 250 ATP points on his tally, Alejandro cracked the top-20 for the first time, gathering a boost ahead of the third Major of the season at Wimbledon. Tabilo made a reliable start in Mallorca, beating Alexander Shevchenko and Jakub Mensik before prevailing over Gael Monfils for a place in the final.
The Chilean met Sebastian Ofner in a battle for the title and earned a 6-3, 6-4 win to lift the trophy. Alejandro took 11 points more than Sebastian, outplaying him on serve and return and sealing the deal in straight sets.
Tabilo barely lost a point behind the first serve, defending all three break points and keeping the pressure on the other side.
The Austrian could not follow that pace, playing against five break points and losing serve once in each set to settle with the runner-up prize.
They stayed close to each other in the mid-range and most advanced exchanges. Alejandro built a massive advantage in the quickest rallies up to four strokes, earning the win in that segment. A left-handed Chilean closed the opening game of the match with a hold at love and created a break chance in the next one after the Austrian's double fault.
Ofner denied it with a service winner and fired two winners to bring the game home and avoid an early setback. Tabilo landed an ace in the third game, and they both held at love in the following two games to stay neck and neck.
Alejandro found the rhythm on the return at 3-2, creating three break chances and converting the second after Sebastian's loose backhand. Ofner netted another backhand in the seventh game, allowing Tabilo to cement the break and forge a 5-2 advantage.
Alejandro Tabilo claimed a grass-court ATP title in Mallorca.
Sebastian prolonged the set with a hold at love in game eight and wished for one last chance on the return in the next one.
He reached 30-30 before Alejandro landed two service winners, wrapping up the opener 6-3 after 30 minutes. They served well in the opening five games of the second set. Sebastian grabbed the first game with a fine serve & volley combo, and Alejandro responded with a hold at 30 in the next one for 1-1.
The Austrian fired an ace in the third game, and the Chilean responded with a booming serve of his own a few minutes later for 2-2. Ofner forced Tabilo's mistake for a hold in game five and made a push on the return in the next one.
Sebastian drew Alejandro's error and created two break points that could have sent him in front. The Austrian missed a forehand on the second, which would cost him dearly. The Chilean landed a service winner, closing the game and locking the result at 3-3.
Tabilo landed a booming serve in the eighth game and pressured his opponent on the return in the next one. Sebastian sprayed a backhand error and offered Alejandro a break chance.
The Austrian saved it with a service winner before facing the second after netting a routine forehand. Ofner netted another forehand, losing serve and falling 5-4 behind. Tabilo served for the title in game ten and earned a match point with a service winner.
Sebastian denied it with a forced error and created a break chance after Alejandro's backhand mistake. The Chilean saved it with a service winner and generated the second match point with a backhand winner. Ofner attacked with a return and landed a winner at the net for another deuce.
Tabilo earned the third match point with a service winner and converted it with another, celebrating his second ATP title of the season. The first came at the beginning of the season in Auckland.
Alejandro faced Taro Daniel in the title clash and notched a 6-2, 7-5 triumph in an hour and 36 minutes. Like against Ofner in Mallorca, the Chilean served well and denied all three break chances. Daniel felt the pressure and failed to repel it as he did in the semi-final against Ben Shelton.
Taro played against five break points and lost serve three times, making a slow start and propelling his rival over the top after getting broken in the closing stages of the second set.
