In the men’s singles final held in Lexington, Ed Butvilas defeated the home player Andre Ilagan (ATP-243) after a fluctuating battle with a score of 6:2, 1:6, 7:6(6).
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For the 22-year-old tennis player from Klaipėda, this is the third “Challenger” trophy in his career, and the young player continues to remain unbeaten in finals of this category.
In 2024, Ed triumphed in the Charleston (USA) tournament, and last season – on the island of Crete. All tournaments so far have been won on hard courts.
However, the final in Lexington was undoubtedly the most dramatic so far – it required a decisive tiebreak and even several opportunities to finish the match. In the tiebreak, the Lithuanian led 6:4 but did not convert two match points. Still, he managed to wait for an unforced error from his opponent, and a powerful shot from the right secured the victory for our compatriot.
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We remind that E. Butvilas came to this tournament with a streak of seven losses, which began in early June precisely in a match against A. Ilagan – then he lost with a score of 3:6, 4:6.
The Lithuanian tennis team representative, who secured a prize of 17 thousand US dollars and 75 ATP ranking points, should rise to the 204th position in the new ATP ranking – just a few steps below his career best (201).
Next week, the tennis player will face another “Challenger” tournament in the United States, and in the first round, he will play against American Michael Mmoh (ATP-181).
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