Roberto Bautista Agut has won the 2024 European Open. In a high-level final, he prevailed in two sets over the fifth seed, Czech Jiri Lehecka (ATP-33). In the doubles, victory went to Austrians Erler and Miedler.
Both finalists had already made an impressive run this tournament. Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (ATP-60) had previously defeated third seed Félix Auger-Aliassime (ATP-21), among others, while Czech Lehecka (ATP-33) tossed favourite and second seed Stefanos Tsitsipás (ATP-11) out of the tournament. In the mutual confrontations, it was 3-1 for the Spaniard, but the Czech had won the last match.
From the start, it was clear that this was a high-stakes match. Lehecka, fifth seed and having lost only one serve game until this final, felt the pressure increasing and had to take a first break immediately at a 2-1 score. Although the Czech grabbed the break back in the eighth game, he still lost his serve again at the end, resulting in a 7-5 set score.
Lehecka seemed clearly shaken after losing the first set and quickly gave away his serve in the second. Bautista Agut proved that there is no age on quality and steamed through to tournament victory. (6-1) He earned his twelfth ATP title with this victory. The 36-year-old Spaniard thus became the second-oldest tournament winner this year, after Djokovic, who captured gold at the Olympics at the age of 37.
In the doubles final, Austrian duo Erler and Miedler faced American-Kazakh duo Galloway and Nedovyesov. The Austrians, who already have five titles to their name, immediately impressed by going through their opponents’ serve in the first game. They did not relinquish that lead and easily won the first set. (6-4)
Galloway and Nedovyesov, who played together for the first time this week, fought their way back into the match in the second set and showed why they were rightly in the final (6-1). A supertiebreak had to bring the decision. At first, it was evenly matched, but thanks to a powerful return by Miedler, the Austrians eventually won 10-8. It is their sixth doubles title on the ATP tour.
Kristoff Puelinckx, CEO Tennium: “We have seen a great tournament and are pleased that we were able to bring a lot of top players to Belgium again, despite the busy calendar. Of course, we like to see both seeds and Belgians go far, but the Belgian audience is clearly a knowledgeable one. The final, a match between the old and new guard, was a showdown between two very good players. The enthusiasm and atmosphere in the stands indicated that the spectators have enjoyed a lot of great matches this week.”
Dick Norman, Tournament Director: ‘We had another very wonderful edition. For example, we already had our Family Day on the first weekend, which meant the stands were already well-filled even with the qualifying matches. Belgian Day was also an absolute hit, with Zizou Bergs shining, and the audience clearly enjoyed it. Of course we like to see seeds going far, but the quality of the matches was high. In addition, the organisation was also more streamlined, as we have become even more harmonised as a team.”