34-year old Dominican tennis player Victor Estrella has made history by winning the Ecuador Open (ATP 250 Quito), part of the ATP World Tour. Estrella entered the tournament ranked 73rd in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). On Sunday, 8 February 2015 he defeated the tennis player who is ranked 14th in the world, Spain’s Feliciano Lopez. The sports media highlighted how unusual it is for a player ranked outside the Top 50 to win a title. It is his first ATP 250.
The win makes him the oldest first-time title winner on the ATP World Tour in the Open Era, since 1968. The win propelled him from 73rd in the world to 52nd in the ATP Ranking.
In the Dominican Republic the previous week, Estrella received the Athlete of the Year award.
As reported by ATP, Estrella struck first in the final, breaking Lopez in the opening game and again to go up 5-2 before serving out the set. ATP reports that neither player broke serve in the second set, with Lopez leveling the match on his fourth set point.
Estrella again got off to a strong stat in the third, and broke Lopez in the second game. He was able to create a 4-1 lead, when Lopez came storming back to force a tiebreak. Estrella made the most of his second match point to close out the two-hour and 17-minute match.
Estrella had defeated Lopez last season. Prior to matching Lopez, he defeated Thomaz Bellucci, ranked 72nd in a 7-6(5), 7-5 victory.
Estrella entered into the match ranked 73rd in the world, although his career high was 65th. His new career high is the present 52nd in the world. The win meant US$29,794 in prize money.
He became only the second player ranked outside the Top 50 to win a title this year.
Estrella is the only Dominican included in the top 200 ranking of the ATP.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2015/02/5/Quito-Sunday-Final-Lopez-Estrella-Burgos.aspx
http://instagram.com/victorestrellaburgos
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Singles.aspx