ATP | Albert Ramos takes over the land with his third title

Albert Ramos deserved it. He opted for clay, as is customary in his planning, and it has turned out more than well. He already aimed high in Argentina, when he reached the final in Córdoba (he lost against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo) and the semifinals in Buenos Aires (he was eliminated by the other Cerúndolo, Francisco). In Marbella he repeated the penultimate round (he fell against Carreño) and The reward has come to him in Estoril, with the triumph of faith and perseverance in a great match against Briton Cameron Norrie: 4-6, 6-3 and 7-6 (3) in 2:44. Thus, with a hammer in the drive, especially when it was reversed to hit him with his powerful left, the 33-year-old Catalan achieved, which will be the 37th in the world on Monday, the third title of his career, after those conquered in Bastad 2016 and Gstaad 2019, all on clay. It was his tenth duel for an ATP trophy and this time it did not escape him. And he also got it, medicated for some discomfort in the adductor of the right leg. More credit.

Ramos, leader of the year in victories (16) and finals (two, shared with Tsitsipas) on clay, is the third Spaniard to inscribe his name on the ATP 250 list of the Portuguese coast, after Nicolás Almagro in 2016 and Pablo Carreño in 2017. Although he is at a level reminiscent of the one he demonstrated when he fought for the Monte Carlo title with Nadal in 2017, it was not easy for him to carry out a match that he dominated in the first set and that it was complicated by a break in the ninth game after having had several occasions before adding one.

Albert did not collapse, used to playing, coming back on occasions and winning matches resolved in three sets this season (10 of 15). Little by little he took over the rhythm and exhausted a Norrie who paid for his inexperience in these types of encounters. The English tennis player born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand was playing the second final of his career and was brave, but in the exciting and decisive tiebreaker of the third set he failed to maintain his initial advantage (3-1) And he lacked the bellows to finish off against a titanic Ramos, who will not be able to rest to celebrate his triumph, because he will travel to Madrid to play on Tuesday at the Mutua Madrid Open.

“In December I did not expect this title”

“It was a very difficult final, he deserved the trophy just like me. I've been in your position a long time and I know that a title will come to you, because you improve every day. They will come because you and your team deserve it ”, said the winner to a Norrie who described him as“ an older brother on the circuit ”. “I have had good and bad moments, and in these I have always tried to carry on. Last year was very difficult and we got to work, José María (Díaz, his coach) knows it, very strong and with the same enthusiasm from the beginning. It is a title that I did not expect in December ”, concluded Ramos.

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