Proud moment for Reilly Opelka as he wins maiden ATP Tour trophy
Reilly Opelka can call himself an ATP Tour trophy winner after he won the New York Open with a three-set victory over Brayden Schnur.
The 21-year-old Opelka, the 2015 Wimbledon Boys’ Singles champion, beat the Canadian qualifier 6-1, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (9-7) in two hours and three minutes to secure his maiden title.
New York's newest skyscraper 🗽
👏👏@ReillyOpelka towers above Brayden Schnur 6-1 6-7(7) 7-6(7) to claim his maiden ATP title at @NewYorkOpen pic.twitter.com/TgsvzwJTbG
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 17, 2019
The American, who saw off top seed John Isner in the semi-final, took just 18 minutes to win the opening set, but after no breaks of serve in the second set, Schnur hit back via the tie-breaker.
Both players were solid on their serves again in the decider and, after wasting three match points, Opelka finally got the job done at the fourth time of asking.
“This [title] is definitely what I’m most proud of,” he said. “I was tough mentally, especially losing a lot of first sets this week, and my first serve really helped me out. I was able to play clutch in those big moments.”
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