PORTO/STARNBERG, August 30, 2025
Netherlands’ Guy Den Ouden and Belgium’s rising star Gilles-Arnaud Bailly will compete in Sunday’s singles final of the CT Porto Cup ATP Challenger Tour 75 clay-court event.
World No. 161 Den Ouden ended Portuguese veteran Frederico Ferreira Silva’s campaign in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, after 95 minutes. It was the second time in less than a year that the Dutchman has beaten Ferreira Silva, again dictating with his forehand and first serve, while using the drop shot with great effect.
Guy Den Ouden defeats Frederico Silva 6-3, 6-3 to reach back-to-back ATP Challenger finals on clay — one month apart and with a trip to New York in between. He will be the favorite against first-time finalist Gilles-Arnauld Bailly tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/3AC6gFmO5e
— Gaspar Ribeiro Lança (@gasparlanca) August 30, 2025
“He played a great match,” Ferreira Silva admitted afterwards. “I knew about his strengths, but he brought in some extra weapons today, especially the drop shot and the serve, which was better than I expected. He gave me very few opportunities, but maybe if I had taken the early chances in the first set, things could have gone differently.”
Despite the loss, Ferreira Silva was upbeat, having reached his first ATP Challenger semifinal of the year. “It’s positive. You don’t reach the last weekend of a Challenger every week. My goal is to play these decisive rounds more often.” He will now join compatriots Jaime Faria and Henrique Rocha at the Copa Sevilla for another Challenger tournament before traveling together to Lima for Portugal’s Davis Cup tie against Peru.
For Den Ouden, the victory sends him into the sixth Challenger final of his career, and his fifth of the season. The 23-year-old won his maiden title in Dobrich, Bulgaria, last year but has fallen short in four finals during 2024.
In the top half of the draw, World No. 341 Bailly earned his place in the biggest final of his career with a hard-fought 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 win over Spain’s Alejandro Moro Canas. The Belgian teenager, just 19 years old, needed two hours and 42 minutes to prevail in a match of momentum swings.
Bailly began aggressively, breaking early to take the first set before surviving a tense final game in which he saved five break points. Moro Canas, a former Porto finalist, stormed through the second set, but Bailly regained control in the decider with consistency and poise, forcing the Spaniard into errors at crucial moments.
Once regarded as one of the brightest junior prospects in the world, Bailly rose to prominence as runner-up at both the French Open and US Open boys’ events in 2022, also climbing to World junior No. 1. After a brief stint in U.S. college tennis, he committed fully to the professional circuit this year and has already collected five ITF titles in 2025. Sunday marks his first Challenger final, an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of fellow Belgian teenager Alexander Blockx, who claimed his maiden Challenger crown in January.
Kielan & Pieczonka triumph in doubles
Meanwhile, the doubles title went to Szymon Kielan and Filip Pieczonka, the second seeds, who defeated Serbian twins Ivan and Matej Sabanov 6-2, 6-4. The Polish duo enjoyed a flawless week in Porto, lifting their first trophy as a pair at this venue.
For Pieczonka, 21, it was his 10th career title and third at Challenger level this year. Kielan, 22, secured the 20th title of his career, his fourth on the Challenger Tour, all alongside Pieczonka.
