LOS CABOS CROWNS ARTHUR GEA IN ITS TENTH EDITION

The 21-year-old French tennis player defeated Denis Shapovalov, the defending champion from 2015

• With this first professional title, Gea will climb to 81st place in the PIF ATP Rankings next Monday

Los Cabos, August 1, 2016 – In a thrilling match that marked the close of the tenth edition of the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel OPPO in Los Cabos, young Frenchman Arthur Gea captured the first title of his professional career by defeating Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

The Frenchman sealed his victory with scores of 6-3 and 6-4 against Shapovalov, the eighth seed and reigning champion of the previous edition, after an intense 90-minute battle.

Gea’s victory was a major setback for Shapovalov, who failed to defend his title despite showing a remarkable recovery from his summer injuries throughout the tournament. Conversely, this achievement propels the Frenchman 46 places higher in the world rankings, consolidating his rise shortly after entering the elite group of the world’s Top 100.

The victory was built on impeccable tennis from Gea, characterized by an extremely powerful and precise forehand, high-level groundstrokes, and a virtually unbeatable serve.

The outcome of the match was heavily influenced by three key statistical factors: unforced errors (35 committed by the Canadian compared to 23 by the Frenchman), double faults (where Shapovalov registered nine to Gea’s four), and service break effectiveness. Of the four breaks of serve in the match, the new champion converted three (one in the first set and two in the second), conceding his own serve only once.

During the first set, the match remained tight, with both players holding serve until 4-3. It was in the eighth game that Gea capitalized on a lapse in Shapovalov’s serve to break his opponent’s serve and then consolidate his own, closing out the set 6-3.

The second set began with Gea taking the lead after breaking in the third game to go up 2-1. Although the American responded by breaking back in the sixth game to level at 3-3, Gea immediately shut down the comeback, breaking his opponent’s serve again to take a 4-3 lead. The Frenchman then held serve solidly to secure the final 6-4.

“When I won the decisive point, I couldn’t quite grasp it. I’m so proud of the level I showed. It’s hard to put into words; I managed to improve every day, and the final was incredible. This represents a radical turning point in my career, especially since I had just lost a Challenger final two weeks ago, and I promised myself it wouldn’t happen again. This stage was much bigger. I’ll cherish this moment forever: my first final and my first title. The support of my family and my coaching team is my greatest motivation,” a visibly moved Gea told the media.

To reach the final in Mexico, the European tennis player had to defeat South Korea’s Soon Woo Kwon, the United States’ Michael Zheng, Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo, and Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong before the final against Shapovalov.