By Tennis Now | Sunday, September 29, 2019
Pablo Carreno Busta withstood 31 aces from Alexander Bublik winning a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) Chengdu Open final thriller for his fourth career title.
Photo credit: Chengdu Open Facebook
At times, Pablo Carreno Busta faced the tennis version of a serving firing squad.
The 28-year-old Spaniard kept calm and hit the final tie break target.
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Carreno Busta withstood 31 aces from Alexander Bublik winning a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3) Chengdu Open final thriller for his fourth career title.
It is Carreno Busta's first championship since he won the 2017 Estoril Open.
Facing a volatile server, the former world No. 10 answered with an emphatic serving performance of his own. Carreno Busta served 79 percent, pumped seven aces, won 15 of 20 second-serve points and denied the lone break point he faced.
"It was an incredible week here in Chengdu," Carreno Busta said. "During the week I felt really comfortable on the court. The surface is very fast, but I ws very good with my serve during all the matches and I thikn it was the key to being the winner of the tournament."
The Spanish baseliner earned the lone break of the match in the seventh game of the second set then backed up the break at love for 5-3. Carreno Busta converted his second set point to snatch the second set and force a decider.
Bublik, who saved two match points to defeat Grigor Dimitrov in Friday's quarterfinals, staved off two break points in the opening game of the final set. Bublik opened the tie break with his 11th double fault. Carreno Busta quickly extended the lead to 4-0.
Carreno Busta banged a final backhand pass closing a two hour, five-minute conquest claiming the third hard-court crown of his career.