
Roberto Bautista-Agut is one of the most in-form players on the ATP World Tour this season, as the Spaniard won his second tournament of the year, adding Sofia to the Auckland title he picked up in the second week of the season. He defeated Serbian second seed Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4.
Both men had had good runs in the tournament in reaching the final. Roberto Baustista-Agut did not drop a set, and Troicki dropped just one in a tough three-setter against Martin Klizan in his semi-final.
The match quickly established a pattern. Troicki would try to be more aggressive, coming to the net on occasion, and trying to end points quickly. Bautista-Agut seemed more comfortable waiting out the rallies, before finding a particular ball to engage his forehand, which he let fly when he felt well-placed.
Baustista-Agut had a glimpse of a break chance in game six, at thirty-all, but missed a finishing forehand to allow Troicki to escape. The top seed did not let Troicki off the hook in game eight however, earning love-thirty, and winning an extended rally when Troicki could not control a desperate response to a Bautista-Agut drop-shot, the ball drifting just wide from the Serbian, and Bautista-Agut would serve for the set.
Troicki tried to retrieve the break, earning fifteen-thirty, his best effort against the Bautista-Agut serve, but the top seed drove a angled forehand cross-court, and Troicki missed a smash. Bautista-Agut then took the set on his first set point.
Troicki was under pressure early in the second, as he netted a forehand at forty-thirty to allow Bautista-Agut back to deuce. A double-fault brought up another break point, but Bautista-Agut missed narrowly with a cross-court forehand. Troicki missed an easy backhand to bring it back to deuce again. A poor drop-shot, a shot that had failed Troicki a number of times in the match, forced the second seed to defend another break point. He missed a rallying forehand, and Bautista-Agut led from the first game of the second set.
Troicki was afforded a chance to get back into the match when Bautista-Agut went down fifteen-forty. Troicki broke on his first break point, and the second set at least was back on serve. Troicki looked to be enjoying some momentum when serving at forty-fifteen, but Bautista-Agut hit some excellent returns and earned break point at at deuce-advantage. Bautista-Agut neutralised the Troicki serve, before unleashing a perfect forehand winner into the corner of his opponent’s backhand wing to lead again. Bautista-Agut fended off a attempted comeback from Troicki before nearly breaking again himself, but both men eventually held through the rest of the set, Bautista-Agut serving out to win his second title of the year.
Roberto Bautista-Agut: “It feels great, I can’t be more happy than now… enjoying a lot to be on the court and that’s it. I want to congratulate Viktor, and wish him well for the season.. It was amazing to play on this court today, it was an incredible atmosphere and I hope to be back here next year.”
Tournament Summary: Not one for the underdog fans, as all seeded players contested the quarter-finals. A nice mention for Martin Klizan, who with a semi-final display in Sofia, gets his season up and running. The Slovakian had suffered first-round exits in Qatar, Sydney, and at the Australian Open.