By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday September 25, 2022
The Italian remained perfect against Alexander Bublik to notch his first ATP hard court title.
Photo Source: Getty
Lorenzo Sonego capped his title run at the Moselle Open in Metz, France by defeating Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, 7-6(3), 6-2 on Sunday afternoon, the Italian raising his third ATP trophy – and first of 2022.
Sonego, who did not drop a set all week, defeated Aslan Karatsev, Gilles Simon, Sebastian Korda, Hubert Hurkacz and Bublik, winning all three tiebreaks he played this week.
Sonego won 36 of 44 first serve points and improved to 4-0 lifetime against Bublik.
The Italian, who had previously won titles on grass in Antalya and on clay in Cagliari, will rise to 44 in the ATP rankings on Monday.
Bublik, who won his maiden ATP title earlier this year on French soil in Montpellier, drops to 1-6 lifetime in ATP finals. He lost the final four points of the first-set tiebreak, and then seemed to lose interest in the second set.
He handed the double-break to Sonego by trying an ill-advised trick shot, when he was in firm position to complete a smash to save a break point at 1-3, 30-40.
“Big congrats to Lorenzo. It’s always a pleasure to lose against you, as I told you at the net!” joked Bublik at the trophy presentation after the final.
“This is an emotional moment for me, because I had a tough year," Sonego said, after improving to 23-24 on the season.