Albert Ramos is already a four-time champion in the ATP Tours. The 34-year-old Catalan, number 44 in the ranking, defeated this Sunday in the final of the 250 in Córdoba (Argentina) the Chilean born in Canada Alejandro Tabilo (4-6, 6-3 and 6-4), a player who arrived without titles in his career on the circuit and who, at least for now, will continue like this.
Until this match Tabilo, who is ranked 144th on the world list and entered the main draw via qualifying, was having what was perhaps the week of his life in tennis terms. After leaving behind Cerúndolo and another Spaniard, Taberner, in his first two games, dropped Báez, top-100; and to Schwartzman, 14th. But in the final pulse he ran into Ramos.
It was a typical clay court battle that lasted for two hours and 44 minutes. The Spaniard started more toned, with a break in the third game, but Tabilo returned it in the sixth and, with 5-4 in favor, when he remained to win the first set, he got a new break. Ramos had to come back.
The matter would become even more difficult for the Barcelonan, who lost his first turn to serve in the second round. But the reaction was immediate: counterbreak in the next one and then another two more, in the seventh to go ahead and in the ninth, after fourteen points and wasting two opportunities, to tie the game. The third set was served.
There the baggage of bouquets, ten years older than his opponent. Again it started badly, with a break against the start. And it got worse in the fifth game. He came from saving three break balls in the third and failed again with the service: 4-1. It seemed that all the fish was sold, but he knew how to temper himself and undertook an epic sequence. Tabilo would no longer win a set. It was five in a row for a Ramos in a trance, who has thus added two years in a row expanding his record, since the previous one triumphed in Estoril. He had already been crowned in Gstaad (2019) and Bastad (2016. But this is, perhaps, the most unlikely victory of his career. Not because of the rival in front of him, but because he achieved something that not many are capable of, traveling down the tightrope without falling.
