Fabio Fognini came back from one set down to beat Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-3) after 3 hours and 11 minutes in the final of the Copa Faulcombridge, an ATP Challenger Tour in Valencia. Fognini has won his first ATP title at any level since his triumph at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in 2019.
Fognini earned an early break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Bautista Agut broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. The Spanish player broke for the second game in the eighth game to seal the first set 6-3.
The second set went on serve until 4-4 in the second set. Bautista Agut broke serve in the ninth game to take a 5-4 earning the chance to serve for the match. Fognini broke back in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5. Bautista Agut earned a set point at 6-5.
Fognini saved two match points at 4-5 in the second set and another at 7-8 in the tie-break of the second set before sealing the second set on his third set point. Fognini went up a break in the first and seventh games of the third set , but Bautista Agut pulled back on serve both times to draw level to 4-4. Bautista Agut earned a mini-break to take a 2-1 lead. Fognini won six of the next seven points with three mini-breaks to seal the tie-break 7-3.
Fognini becomes the ninth ATP Challenger Tour champion to save at least one match point in a final this year.
Fognini and Bautista Agut were competing against each other for the 12th time.
Fognini becomes the oldest Challenger winner this season.
Chilean Alejandro Tabilo beat Alejandro Burruchaga 6-3 7-6 (8-6) to claim his ATP Challenger trophy. Tabilo has become the fourth South American player to win at least four Challenger titles in 2023 following in the footsteps of Mariano Navone, Facundo Diaz Acosta and Thiago Seyboth Wild. Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki clinched his first ATP Challenger title of the season on home soil at the Yokohama Keio Challenger beating Yuta Shimizu 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. Watanuki has become the fourth Japanese player to win the Challenger 75 tournament.
