Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Dubai, U.A.E.
Singles – Final
[3] R. Bautista Agut (ESP) d [2] L. Pouille (FRA) 63 64
Doubles – Final
[2] J. Rojer (NED) / H. Tecau (ROU) d [WC] J. Cerretani (USA) / L. Paes (IND) 62 76(2)
BAUTISTA AGUT CLAIMS FIRST 500-LEVEL TROPHY; ROJER/TECAU RETAIN TITLE
– Roberto Bautista Agut captures his eighth ATP World Tour title and his first 500-level triumph.
– The Spaniard becomes the first player outside the Top 10 in the ATP Rankings to triumph in Dubai since Fabrice Santoro in 2002.
– Lucas Pouille, who falls short in his third final of the season (1-2), is projected to climb to a career-best No. 12 in the ATP Rankings on Monday.
– Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau retain their title, becoming the first pair in the event’s history (since 1993) to do so.
– The 2015 Nitto ATP Finals champions now hold 17 tour-level titles as a pair. Rojer owns 26 individually, and Tecau has 34.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
•Bautista Agut
“I played very good, very aggressively. I didn’t give him all the court, all the control of the game. I played very good tennis tonight.”
“That means a lot, to win this trophy… I think the past winners [in Dubai] are the best tennis players in the era. That makes me so happy.”
•Pouille
“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.”
•Rojer
“It’s really nice to start off the year like this. I know we did almost the same exact result last year. More importantly, like Horia said, [we] try to get better each match, get good preparation, try to improve as a team. I think that’s still what we both try to do.”
•Tecau
“This tournament always has a strong doubles field. Winning here two years in a row, it’s a great accomplishment for us. Always have to beat some big servers on these fast conditions. That’s very good for [the] confidence to win here twice.”
Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Dubai tennis, Horia Tecau, Jean-Julien Rojer, Lucas Pouille, Roberto Bautista Agut, Tennis