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Biggest Title Yet! Bautista Agut Wins Dubai

Watch highlights as Roberto Bautista Agut defeats Lucas Pouille to earn his first ATP World Tour 500-level title at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Photo Credit: Tom Dulat/Getty Images. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com. ©

ATP
ATP Staff
Mar 03, 2018

Spaniard earns first ATP World Tour 500 title
Roberto Bautista Agut arrived in Dubai on a three-match tour-level losing streak, his first of that length since 2016. But after a tremendous week of tennis in which he dropped just one set, the Spaniard leaves with his second title of the season.

Bautista Agut, the third seed, defeated second seed Lucas Pouille 6-3, 6-4 to triumph at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday evening and deny the Frenchman his first appearance in the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings, which the 24-year-old would have earned with a victory.

"I played very good, very aggressively," Bautista Agut said. "I didn't give him all the court, all the control of the game. I played very good tennis tonight."


The World No. 23 captures his eighth ATP World Tour title (8-6 in finals), and his first at the ATP World Tour 500 level. It is the second time Bautista Agut has beaten a Top 20 player in the ATP Rankings in a final, with the other result coming earlier this year when he triumphed at the ASB Classic, defeating Juan Martin del Potro. Bautista Agut claims $565,530 and 500 ATP Rankings points, which will propel him to World No. 16 on Monday.

The 29-year-old is the first player outside the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings to triumph in Dubai, and the first Spaniard to capture the trophy since Rafael Nadal in 2006.

"That means a lot, to win this trophy," Bautista Agut said. "I think the past winners [in Dubai] are the best tennis players in the era. That makes me so happy."

It was an impressive performance by Bautista Agut in the final, extending his FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead over Pouille to 3-1. He managed to limit Pouille's ability to hit arguably the most potent shot on the court, his forehand, by utilising great depth and timely changes of direction.

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The first break in the match came as Pouille served at 1-2, hitting an untimely double fault long to give the Spaniard the lead. And while Bautista Agut faced his only break point of the set in the next game, he saved it with a beautiful line-clipping backhand down the line to end a 17-shot rally.

It appeared that Pouille, who is now 11-4 on the season, would turn the match around as he found ways to rip more forehands and break for 3-1 in the second set. But Bautista Agut never let his level drop, breaking twice more in the match. And while the Frenchman battled until the end, bringing the final game to 30/30, Bautista Agut struck a forehand winner to end a tantalising 25-shot rally to earn match point, which he clinched when Pouille hit a passing shot into the net.

"He took the break," Bautista Agut said. "But I was mentally strong. I [was able to] come back playing very good tennis."

Pouille, who won the Open Sud de France in February and also reached the final at last week’s Open 13 Provence (l. to Khachanov), claims $277,255 and 300 points. And while he will not break into the Top 10, the top-ranked Frenchman is projected to climb to a career-best No. 12 in the ATP Rankings.

"I think he played some great tennis tonight. Even if I think I had some opportunities, especially in the second set where I got the break, 3-1 up, I couldn't conserve it," Pouille admitted. "I think he was very solid, played some great tennis when he had to."

Did You Know?
Bautista Agut is the first player outside of the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings to triumph in Dubai since Fabrice Santoro in 2002.

Spaniard outlasts Istomin over five sets in opening round at Roland Garros
The past several days have been difficult ones for Roberto Bautista Agut after the passing of his mother, Ester, one week ago. Things didn't get any easier on Monday, but the Spaniard persevered and battled his way into the second round at Roland Garros by defeating Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-7(3), 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 30 minutes.

"That was a very emotional match, especially with everything that's happened in the past week," Bautista Agut said. "It was an encounter filled with highs and lows ... it isn't easy to keep your mind on the court when you've got all these thoughts and feelings inside your head."

The 13th seeded Spaniard managed to gather himself going into the fourth set and finished the match with a total of 48 winners, 18 of those coming in the final two sets.

"When I was two sets to one down, I knew I had no choice but to raise my game and intensity, and I ended up playing really well from that point on," Bautista Agut said.

Bautista Agut, who meets Colombia's Santiago Giraldo in the second round, is determined to stay upbeat following the death of his mother and is at peace with his decision to play in Paris.

"The past few days have been difficult and it isn't easy to get through circumstances like the one I'm in right now," Bautista Agut said. "I believed the best thing to do would be to come (to Roland Garros) and move forward, not stay at home or hide from it all but rather keep fighting, just as I did here today."

Days after mother's death, Spaniard set to play Djokovic in third round at Roland Garros
Following his second-round win at Roland Garros (d. Giraldo 6-4, 7-5, 6-3), Roberto Bautista Agut didn't avoid the media. He also didn't dodge questions about his mother who passed away on 21 May, or the toll it's taken on him at Roland Garros. The Spaniard is set to play 20th seed Novak Djokovic for a place in the fourth round.

"Honestly, being here helps take my mind off everything that's happened over the past several days. I'd rather be playing here at Roland Garros than sulking at home," Bautista Agut said. "I need to keep pushing on. Tennis is my life, these tournaments are my life. As soon as I was able, I got back to my usual routine and that's helped so much. I played really well against Santiago and I felt great doing so. They say it isn't good to bring your personal life or feelings on to the court and I agree, but I'm playing well so that's all that matters."

It's hard to believe the 13th-seeded Bautista Agut is even competing at Roland Garros, let alone at the level he has performed so far. His determination has never been questioned, but the Spaniard has demonstrated the ultimate amount of heart so far in Paris.

"What has happened to me has been a terrible thing and it takes time to overcome," Bautista Agut said. "All the support I've had from back home, from friends of my parents, from acquaintances ... everyone is helping me through this. I've gained strength from their support. I'm thankful, from the bottom of my heart."

Several of Bautista Agut's comrades have rallied behind him during these difficult times, including fellow Spaniards Pablo Carreno Busta, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez. The players sent their condolences, along with a flower wreath in a show of support. They also praised Bautista Agut's courage to play and show a brave face when others might have folded.

"Things that happen off the court have an effect on a player when he steps on the court," Carreno Busta explained. "People don't realise it or consider it as a factor during a match, but a personal issue affects how a player performs and the outcome of a match. I've never gone through what Roberto is going through right now so I can't say 'I know how you feel.' All I can say is he's won a lot of support by soldiering on. I'm always happy for him, but even more so considering how much he has suffered."
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Verdasco credits Bautista Agut's work ethic and will power as the reasons he's been able to perform despite playing with a heavy heart.
"Honestly, if I put myself in his place, I don't know if I'd be able to show up and play at Roland Garros," Verdasco said. "Roberto is a very disciplined professional with solid routines and I think that helps him get into this 'bubble' and just detach from his personal issues. His mental fortitude is worthy of admiration."

Lopez found himself in a similar situation as Bautista Agut a year ago.

"I do not know how I would have reacted," Lopez said. "When I went through something similar when Casper [Fernandez] passed away, I was playing at Wimbledon. (Lopez's father taught tennis to Fernandez in Spain.) I found out that he was very sick, that he had days to live, just as I was about to play a doubles match. I was lucky to be able to say goodbye to him, even though he was sedated. Every case is different and I wasn't related by blood to Casper, but for me it was very hard. Right about now, he'd be sending me a text asking what I'm up to or just something about whatever. But now he's gone."

Bautista Agut is doing his best to stay focused on the task at hand, and is well aware he'll need to perform at his best against Djokovic, whom he trails 1-6 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

"Everything that has happened is taking its toll on me," Bautista Agut said. "In the end, everything is linked to our profession. What we eat, how much we rest, the family issues ... all that is linked to the life of the tennis player and when there are problems off the court, you have to put in that much more effort to achieve good results on the court.

"My match [against Djokovic] is obviously a difficult one, even more so considering the circumstances. All I can do is leave it all on the court."

RBA Makes Spanish History In Halle
Jun
22
2018

ATP Staff

This article contains:
Halle
Match Report
2018
Roberto Bautista Agut






The fourth seed will play Coric in the semi-finals

Fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut became the second Spanish semi-finalist in the Gerry Weber Open’s 26-year history on Friday, battling from a break down in the third set to defeat talented Russian Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3.
“It was a really tough match. Karen is playing really good tennis,” Bautista Agut said. “He is very aggressive. He has a very good serve and he plays very good on returns. So it was really tough to beat him today.”

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The only other Spaniard to make the final four at the grass-court event was former World No. 1 Carlos Moya, who fell in the 1999 semi-finals. To make it to the weekend, Bautista Agut won six of the final seven games, breaking the 22-year-old’s serve twice in the deciding set.
“I tried to stay there until the last point, to make him play a lot and try to give everything on the court,” Bautista Agut said.

The World No. 16, who captured the biggest trophy of his career in March at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, and also triumphed at the ASB Classic earlier in the year, will next face Croatian Borna Coric, who beat Italian Andreas Seppi 7-5, 6-3.
The 21-year-old Coric was competing in just his first grass-court tour-level quarter-final, but he won 88 per cent of first-serve points (28/32) to move past the 2015 finalist. Coric, who captured his 100th tour-level match win on Thursday, holds a 22-10 record in 2018, and has surpassed 20 victories in a season for the fourth consecutive year. He will attempt to reach his fourth ATP World Tour final when he plays Bautista Agut in Saturday's semi-final.

Top Seeds Move Into Halle Final
Top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo advanced to the final in Halle, saving two match points in a 6-7(5), 6-3, 12-10 victory against fourth seeds Ivan Dodig and Rajeev Ram on Friday. The team, which won three grass-court titles last season, will face Alexander Zverev/Mischa Zverev or Nikola Mektic/Alexander Peya for the championship.
Did You Know?
Roberto Bautista Agut owns a lead in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Borna Coric, winning four of six matches against the Croatian.

Roberto Bautista Agut started his comeback from a groin injury on Wednesday by booking a place in the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad quarter-finals. The 30-year-old, in his first match since the Gerry Weber Open five weeks ago, overcame fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in one hour and 42 minutes.

The World No. 17, who has won one of his eight ATP World Tour trophies on clay courts, will next challenge Japan’s Taro Daniel, who saved one match point at 5-6, Ad-Out in the deciding set against Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain in a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(5) victory over two hours and 46 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Italian Matteo Berrettini knocked out fourth-seeded Russian Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-3 in 62 minutes. The World No. 84, winner of his second ATP Challenger Tour title at the Trofeo Perrel - FAIP in February, will contest his first ATP World Tour quarter-final against eighth seed and 2016 titlist Feliciano Lopez.

Lopez drew upon his greater experience to overcome fellow Spaniard and lucky loser Oriol Roca Batalla in a hard-fought 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4 win over two hours and 17 minutes.

Berrettini into semi-finals, upsets Lopez
There is only one ATP World Tour titlist remaining at the J. Safra Sarasin Swiss Open Gstaad, putting Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in good position to capture his third tour-level trophy of 2018.
The second seed overcame reigning TEB BNP Paribas Istanbul Open champion Taro Daniel 7-5, 6-1 in one hour, 28 minutes on Friday to reach his fourth semi-final of the year. Bautista Agut earned the biggest victory of his career in March at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships — his maiden ATP World Tour 500-level triumph — and also was the last man standing in January at the ASB Classic.

Bautista Agut did well under pressure, saving all eight break points he faced, with all of them coming in the first set. Once the 30-year-old broke through to gain the advantage against Daniel, there was no looking back. Bautista Agut dropped just one service point (16/17) in the second set en route to his victory.
The Spanish veteran will next face Laslo Djere, who overcame a 1/5 deficit in the deciding set tie-break to scrape past Croatian lucky loser Viktor Galovic 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5) in two hours and 41 minutes. The 23-year-old Serbian, No. 101 in the ATP Rankings, is now through to his third tour-level semi-final.
It will be the first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting between the pair. Bautista Agut has won 18 of his past 20 matches against players ranked outside the Top 100, with his most recent loss coming against #NextGenATP American Michael Mmoh in Miami earlier this year.
Berrettini
Italian Matteo Berrettini advanced to his first ATP World Tour semi-final on Friday with an upset win over eighth seed Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-4, 6-3 in 64 minutes. The World No. 84 won 30 of his 32 first-service points against the 2016 champion (d. Haase).
“It is an unbelievable feeling,” said Berrettini. “I played a great match and served really well, with breaks of serve early in each set. I was really focused as I knew just how experienced he is.”
He will next face Estonian Jurgen Zopp, who saved nine of 10 break points to beat fellow qualifier Facundo Bagnis of Argentina 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 56 minutes. Six years ago, Zopp reached his only previous tour-level quarter-final at the 2012 SkiStar Swedish Open (l. to Hajek).
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Italians Advance To Doubles Final
Berrettini returned to the court later in the day to team up with fellow Italian Daniele Bracciali. The pair knocked out top-seeded Dutchmen Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop 7-6(3), 6-7(5), 10-7 in one hour and 43 minutes for a place in their first ATP World Tour team final. They await Saturday's winners of Denys Molchanov and Igor Zelenay versus Santiago Gonzalez and Joao Sousa.
Did You Know?
Bautista Agut cracked the Top 30 of the ATP Rankings on 12 May 2014. He has not dropped from that group since, and can climb to as high as World No. 14 on Monday with a title, depending on Nick Kyrgios' results in Atlanta.