Former world no. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut lifted an ATP 250 title in Antwerp. The Spanish veteran stopped the clock at an indoor event, defeating Jiri Lehecka 7-5, 6-1 in an hour and 15 minutes. Roberto broke his foot a year ago, missing a couple of months and struggling to regain his A-game. H fixed that in Antwerp, ousting five rivals and lifting his 12th ATP title, the first since Kitzbuhel in July 2022. Bautista Agut dropped 11 points in ten service games, facing two break points and losing serve once in the opener. Lehecka felt the pressure, erasing the deficit in the opening set before experiencing three more breaks of serve to settle with the runner-up spot.
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Who are the oldest ATP champions in 2024?
At 36 years and six months, Roberto became the second-oldest ATP champion in 2024, moving in front of Marin Cilic and trailing only Novak Djokovic. The Serb conquered the Olympic Games in Paris, earning an elusive gold medal and adding the missing puzzle to his tennis puzzle. Novak came to Paris without an ATP title by his name in 2024. However, he stopped the clock and defeated six rivals in straight sets, conquering the tournament at 37 years and two months. Now, Bautista Agust is the second-oldest ATP champion this season, sending Marin Cilic's Hangzhou run down to third place.
Roberto loses the lead but edges Jiri in the opener
The Spaniard and the Czech embraced a tight battle in the first set of the Antwerp final. The more experienced player made a flawless start, dropping one point in the opening four service games and drawing the young gun's error in game four for a 3-1 advantage. Jiri served better after that break he suffered, remaining within one break deficit. Bautista Agut served for the opener in game nine and faced issues for the first time. Lehecka landed a running backhand down the line winner for break chances and welcomed the rival's forehand error for 4-5 and more drama. Roberto kept his composure and clinched a break at love at 6-5 with a forced error, completing the opener in 45 minutes and gaining a boost.
Bautista Agut seals the deal with a strong run in the second set
Carried by this momentum, the Spaniard did everything right in the second set, serving well and stealing the Czech's serve two times. Bautista Agut painted a forehand down the line winner in the second game and grabbed a break after Lehecka's wild forehand. The veteran held after a deuce in the fifth game for 4-1 and made another push on the return in the next one. Roberto cracked a backhand down the line winner for another break, forging a 5-1 advantage and serving for the title. The 36-year-old made no mistakes in game seven, landing a forehand crosscourt winner on a match point to wrap up the title in style.
