A very successful second edition of the Open de Nice concluded with a very close final on a packed center court on Saturday, May 21. Nicolas Almagro, the Spanish player ranked 10th in the world, won in 3 sets (6/7-6/3-6/3) against Victor Hanescu, the Romanian player ranked 69th worldwide.
Two clay court specialists faced off like warriors on Saturday, producing high-quality tennis with great intensity just two days before Roland-Garros. Almagro, as was his habit this week, did not start the match well, getting broken from the start. He did not serve well today, he confided to us, but he was truly determined to win this final, doing so in 2 hours and 18 minutes, in an atmosphere he particularly appreciated. He will be the 11th seed at Roland-Garros and will face a qualifier in the first round. Meanwhile, Hanescu will play against our rather nervous French player, Benoît Paire, in the first round. Let’s hope there will be fewer racket throws than in Nice!
In doubles, the pair Eric Butorac/Jean-Julien Rojer won 6/3-6/4 against Santiago Gonzalez/David Marrero.
25,000 spectators attended in total this week, and the organizers aim to improve in the coming years by notably filling more seats during the week and perhaps ending on a Sunday. 30 million viewers and more, especially considering the matches rebroadcast on Sport Plus.
Jean-François Caujolle and Pierre Albuixech, the co-directors of the tournament, tell us that the Open de Nice is ranked 4th among the 42 ATP 250 tournaments. Indeed, Nice attracts many players due to its magnificent site and the quality of its competition. They also assure that there will be more French players next year and that the tournament is a very good preparation for Roland-Garros.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, congratulates the organizers for making this tournament a major event for the city, with an international dimension.
Here’s to the 3rd edition, which we hope will attract a great crowd.
