Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. Today, I’m super excited to dive into some thrilling news from the ATP circuit. Reilly Opelka, a former world no. 17, has made a comeback in style at the Charlottesville Challenger, celebrating his first victory in over a month.
Opelka’s journey was nothing short of dramatic. He faced off against Dmitry Popko in a match that went down to the wire. The American started strong, serving well and creating chances for an early break. However, Dmitry saved a break point in the second game after Reilly’s wild forehand and landed a volley winner at 1-2, defending another and remaining on the positive side.
The Kazakh held at 15 for 5-5 and made a push on the return in the next one. He created a break chance with a lob winner and welcomed Reilly’s double fault for a 6-5 advantage. Dmitry served for the opener in the 12th game and held at love for 7-5 after 47 minutes.
The second set saw Opelka make a fresh start, taking charge on serve and return. He sealed it in under half an hour. Dmitry missed a game point in the second game and got broken after a loose volley at the net. Opelka cemented the lead with his 17th ace in the third game and landed another booming serve two games later, holding after a deuce for a 4-1 advantage.
The final set was a nail-biter, with both players serving well and offering no chances to the returners. Reilly held in the eighth game with a service winner for 4-4 and served to stay in the match at 4-5. He brought it home with an unreturned serve for more drama. The former world no. 17 closed the 12th game with an ace, introducing a tie break. Reilly grabbed a mini-break in the first point with a fine attack and fired powerful serves for 3-0. The American forced the rival’s mistake in the fourth point and claimed two points on serve for 6-1 and five match points. Opelka converted the first after Popko’s wayward volley, sealing the deal and earning his first Challenger victory in a year.
Reilly’s performance was highlighted by his 28 aces, a testament to his powerful serving skills. This win marks a significant comeback for Opelka, who has been working hard to regain his form. The tennis world is buzzing with excitement as we await more thrilling matches from this giant server.
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