SEGOVIA/STARNBERG, July 30, 2023
Pablo Llamas Ruiz is the new champion of the Open Castilla y León Villa de El Espinar after defeating Frenchman Antoine Escoffier in Sunday’s final 7-6(9), 7-6(5). The No. 6 seed of the €118,000 ATP Challenger Tour hard-court event had seven match points before finally closing out a tough, intense, and contested encounter that lasted two hours and 20 minutes on the Central Court of the Pedro Muñoz Municipal Sports Complex
In front of over 1,000 spectators, Llamas Ruiz fired nine aces and won 70 per cent of his first-service points to clinch his maiden Challenger crown. The 20-year-old from Jerez de la Frontera has become the first Spanish player to lift the trophy in Segovia since Nicola Kuhn 2019.
🏆¡TRIUNFO EN CASA🏡!🏆
🇪🇸 @pablotenis_02 se hace con su PRIMER título @ATPChallenger en el @Tenis_Espinar tras ganar a Antoine Escoffier 76(9) 76(5)
🎥 @ATPChallenger pic.twitter.com/s3cWOc4I3s
— Tenis España (@RFETenis) July 30, 2023
“I am speechless and very happy,” said Llamas Ruiz. “I wouldn’t have thought that could I win my first title on hard court, on home soil, at a tournament that I really like. I am just very pleased with my performance and happy that I can celebrate the title win together with my family.”
Llamas Ruiz, a winner of three singles titles on the ITF World Tennis Tour, pocketed €16,020 in prize money as well as 100 ATP Ranking points. The Andalusian arrived at El Espinar ranked World No. 184 and will wake up on Monday within the Top 150.
