(Photo Public Domain)
Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin was not classified among the players who could win the 20th Aegon Open in Nottingham, but he surprised everyone by winning 6-7, 6-7 after defeating the 12th seed Sam Querrey of the US.
The 28-year-old player has never won a single competition title, making this his first ATP World Tour title.
Istomin’s win was not the only surprise – another surprise was the defeat of world no 7, David Ferrer of Spain, who was expected to win the championship. Ferrer was ousted earlier than expected, in the second round, due to his 2-7, 6-7 loss to the Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, world no.59.
France’s Gilles Simon also left the competition after losing the quarter-finals at the hands of Querrey, who qualified to the finals winning 7-5, 6-7, 4-6.
Istomin qualified to the finals after achieving five victories: the first one was over the Spaniard Nicolás Almagro, with 1-6, 4-6; his second win was against Argentine Juan Mónaco, with 1-6, 2-6; and the third was against the Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky, 5-7, 4-6.
During the final rounds, Istomin achieved his fourth victory against Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer in the quarter-final match with the result of 3-6, 7-6, 6-7. His fifth victory was against the Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis in the semi-final, after Baghdatis withdrew with an injury early in the match.
The duo of the Australian Chris Guccione and the Brazilian André Sá were crowned the Nottingham doubles title after winning over Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas and his Spanish partner David Marrero, with 2-6 and 5-7.
As for the Women’s Nottingham Open, Croatia’s Ana Konjuh won the title after defeating the Belgian Monica Niculescu in the final match 6-1, 4-6, 2-6.
At the beginning of her journey towards the title, Konjuh won over the US’ Sehlby Rogers in the first round of the championship with 0-6, 3-6. In the second round, she won over Casey Dellacqua, on 6-4, 6-2. The quarter-final witnessed her victory over the American Sachia Vickery, on 4-6, 2-6. She continued her victory in the semi-final over the American Alison Riske with 4-6, 3-6.
The Americans Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears won the doubles title for women, thanks to their decisive victory over Britain’s Jocelyn Rae and her partner Anna Smith with 6-3, 3-6 9-11.
