CHISINAU/STARNBERG, June 1, 2025
The inaugural Moldova Open came to a conclusion at Arena Chisinau, marking a historic milestone as the country hosted an ATP Challenger Tour event for the very first time.
In Sunday‘s singles final, Frenchman Clement Chidekh defeated top-seeded Russian Ilia Simakin 7-6(6), 7-5 to claim his first title of the 2025 season. The No. 8 seed delivered a composed and tactically sound performance. Chidekh withstood 10 aces and broke his rival one time to seal victory in one hour and 55 minutes, earning his second ATP Challenger career title.
Sealed in style
Clement Chidekh takes down top seed Simakin 7-6(6), 7-5 in Chisinau to capture his second career Challenger title#ATPChallenger | @FFTennis pic.twitter.com/VFwH3bZsKB
— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 1, 2025
His path to the title was anything but easy, with several strong performances throughout the week. In the opening round, Chidekh beat Slovakia’s Lukas Pokorny followed by a three-set win over Poland’s Olaf Pieczkowski. He then breezed past Latvia’s Robert Strombachs 6-4, 6-0, before dispatching Great Britain’s Toby Samuel 6-4, 6-1 in the semi-final.
A former standout at the University of Washington, Chidekh is currently ranked World No. 297. Born in Arles and now residing in Orléans, the 23-year-old continues to show promise on the Pro Circuit. His victory in Chisinau confirms him as a rising player to watch this season.
“This has been an incredible tournament. I want to thank the organizers, umpires, line judges, ball kids, and everyone who helped make this week unforgettable. Chisinau is a city I’ll be happy to return to,” Chidekh said.
ATP Supervisor Andrey Kornilov noted: “This has been an excellent debut. I’m confident Moldova will continue to host professional-level events in the years to come.”
