2024-01-13 05:32:01
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Chilean Alejandro Tabilo capped the most extraordinary week of his career on Saturday, beating Taro Daniel 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the ATP Auckland Classic, clinching the first title of his career , in a tournament he reached through the qualifying stage.
Tabilo passed two rounds of the qualifying tournament and three phases in the main draw. He avoided facing second seed Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals when the Brit withdrew with a wrist injury.
In the semifinals, he defeated Arthur Fils to reach his second final on the ATP circuit.
The 26-year-old dominated the final, hitting 10 aces and constantly keeping Daniel on the defensive with his powerful left-handed shots.
“It honestly feels surreal,” Tabilo said. “I feel very happy and excited. Even my coach (Guillermo Gómez) didn’t have a visa, we applied for it in the quarterfinals and received it on Wednesday, and he arrived from Melbourne because he was waiting for me in Australia. He was very crazy.”
Daniel, the Japanese-American, also had a standout week, reaching a final between unseeded players.
He only had bad memories of the Auckland tournament after being eliminated last year in the last round of the rain-affected qualifying tournament. His hesitant decision to return this year paid dividends when he upset top seed Ben Shelton in the semifinals to reach the second final of his career after Istanbul in 2018.
But on Saturday he faced a player in great form, seasoned by his numerous games in Auckland. He fought hard to stay in the match, but Tabilo was always ahead, breaking Daniel’s serve in the sixth and eighth games of the first set and in the 12th of the second.
This put an end to a complicated streak for Tabilo, located in 82nd position in the ranking.
“Last year was difficult, even two years ago we reached the final in Córdoba and from there we went back up,” he said. “Then we had a small stress fracture in our arm and we had to stop that year and I had to work hard to come back.
“There were a lot of injuries last year and now with the whole team, with the recovery, with the food, with my family and with my girlfriend also supporting me, it has been a crazy journey.”
Both players will now travel to the Australian Open, where Daniel will play Chris Eubanks in the first round. Tabilo will face the American Aleksandar Kovacevic, who left the qualifying tournament.
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