We just saw Quentin Halys claim his first ATP title and today we’ll have another first time tour title winner, when 21-year-old Belgian Alexander Blockx takes on 22-year-old Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the final at the Estoril Open.
Alexander Blockx vs Luca Van Assche
To reach his first-ever ATP tour-level final, Blockx has had to do things the hard way. He played three tough three-setters, culminating in an impressive semifinal comeback against Luciano Darderi (5-7, 7-6(1), 7-6(5) in a two-hour, 45-minute battle ). He enters the final, well not rested, but surely battle-tested and with a lot of momentum. He’s also spent nearly 7.5 hours more on court than his opponent.
Van Assche has looked sharp and composed all week and has also gone through some tough matches. Highlighted by a statement win over top seed Andrey Rublev and a straight-sets semifinal victory over compatriot Hugo Gaston, the Frenchman seem to be in form and enjoy these clay courts.
Head-to-Head
This is their first meeting on the ATP tour, they met just once on the Challenger tour where Van Assche defeated Blockx earlier this year in the indoor hard-court final at the Lille Challenger.
Predictions and Best Bets
Blockx enters the match as the odds favorite and his form could hardly get better. The Belgian is the bigger hitter from the back and has a more powerful serve than his opponent. The question mark would be fatigue, as he spent a lot of time on court this week.
If he can keep up this level he has a good chance of lifting a first trophy today. However it won’t be an easy task today against Van Assche that has slightly fresher legs and has looked extremely sharp on the clay. If we’ll see many extending rallies, the Frenchman might get an edge in the game.
I’ll go for a game hcp bet on Luca Van Assche (+2.5) at 1.91 (-110).
