HELSINKI/STARNBERG, November 9, 2025
The final of the 2025 HPP Open in Helsinki had all the ingredients of a classic, as US-American Patrick Kypson battled past Finland’s home favorite Otto Virtanen 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in front of a packed Tali Tennis Center to claim his fourth ATP Challenger Tour title of the season.
The match began evenly, with both players holding serve comfortably. Backed by the home crowd, Virtanen gradually applied more pressure on Kypson’s service games and eventually earned the first break of the match to move ahead 3-2. The fifth seed from the U.S. struggled with a few unforced errors, and Virtanen, who had shown strong form all week, stayed solid to close out the opening set 6-4.
Kypson raised his level at the start of the second set, pushing the Finn into more defensive positions. Virtanen saved a few break points early on, but Kypson capitalized on his third opportunity to take a 4-2 lead. At 5-3, Virtanen appeared to suffer an injury and required a medical timeout, but the American maintained his focus and served out the set 6-3 to force a decider.
In the final set, World No. 146 Kypson made a quick move, breaking Virtanen’s serve in the opening game. The Finn continued to fight, even earning a break point later in the set, but Kypson held firm. After just under two hours of play, the 26-year-old sealed the championship, his fourth ATP Challenger title of the season.
What a year for Patrick Kypson
The American wins his FOURTH Challenger title of the season#ATPChallenger | @usta pic.twitter.com/jCCTpSfuYj
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) November 9, 2025
“It feels really good, of course,” said a smiling Kypson after the match. “It was a really tough one, and I’m just happy I was able to win today. It’s never easy to play against the home favorite, but I knew what to expect. It was fun out there — a great atmosphere and a close match until the end.”
When asked what made the difference, Kypson pointed to his serve. “I served really well today – apart from once in the first set, I held my service games strongly. Getting that early break in the third set was huge, and I managed to keep serving well all the way through. The serve was definitely the key.”
For Virtanen, who was the last Finnish player to reach the final since Emil Ruusuvuori’s 2019 victory, it was still a memorable week despite the loss. “Four good matches this week — overall, I’m happy with my game,” Virtanen said. “Of course, losing hurts, and it’s never fun to leave a home tournament as the runner-up when the goal was to win.”
Playing in front of a sold-out home crowd all week was a special experience for the 23-year-old Finn. “Thank you to the fans – the support was amazing all week,” Virtanen said. “It really helped me bring out my best. I almost found my way back in the end today, but Patrick played a great match and deserved the win. Congratulations to him.”
Virtanen may compete in one more ATP Challenger event next week before wrapping up his 2025 season.
