Victor Estrella Burgos has won the Ecuador Open for a third year in a row after a 6-7(2) 7-5 7-6(6) victory over Paolo Lorenzi.
Estrella Burgos and Lorenzi were competing in their first match against each other. The Dominican Republican was looking for his third ATP and Quito title, while Lorenzi was looking for his second ATP world tour title. Both men were looking to dominate play from the baseline and grind out points the hard way. In the first set only three points were lost on first serve as both competitors held comfortably. Both men used their ground strokes to get past their opponents defences. After 12 games they couldn’t be separated, as a result the first set went to a tiebreak. Lorenzi would dominate the first set and pound his authority onto the court and take the tiebreak 7-2. Was there anyway back for the two time defending champion?
The Italian made a fast start in the second set as he broke Estrella Burgos in a long and excruciating first game to take a 1-0 lead. However the two time champion, who is yet to lose in Quito gathered momentum and broke back in the eighth game to bring renewed life into the match. He was on a role and the world number 156 completed his second set comeback by breaking in the twelfth game to take the set 7-5. One set all and the match was tied, a brilliant clay court contest was thrilling the Ecuadorean crowd.
The third set saw both men play some offensive tennis to try and gain the upper hand in this tipsy turvy affair. They shared a break of serve each in the seventh and eighth games to cancel each other out. Estrella Burgos breaking first, then Lorenzi returning the favour. The crowd were enthralled and were treated to some quite sensational tennis in the final set. Both men were serving and competing well, as they used all their weapons at their disposal to try and create some separation from their opponent. A match of this quality needed a third set tiebreak. Would it be three in a row for Estrella Burgos? Or would Lorenzi break the Quito trend? It was a tense tiebreak Estrella Burgos had the advantage at 4-2 before the Italians grittiness brought the tiebreak to 4-4. The world number 46 would have match point at 6-5 however forehands cross court forced an error from the Italian for 6-6. This brilliant contest would end as Estrella Burgos would hit a forehand deep into court and Lorenzi would hit his shot in the net. The match was won by the 36 year old as he completed the fairytale story to win his third Ecuador Open.
An unbelievable accomplishment winning all three editions of the Quito Open, a magnificent effort from Lorenzi however Victor Estrella Burgos is the king of Quito. A magnificent feat which proves we are on a ageing ATP World Tour. Can anyone stop him next year?
