You had to go back to the Kitzbühel Open to see Hugo Gaston in the semi-finals of a tournament, and incidentally win a match on the ATP circuit. In Austria, the Frenchman (24 years old, 77th) even made it to the final where he lost to Matteo Berrettini (7-5, 6-3). In Antwerp, he saw his journey come to an end in the semi-finals, beaten consistently by the indestructible Roberto Bautista Agut (36 years old, 60th) in two sets (6-3, 6-4).
The Spaniard, long sidelined following a horse riding accident, is slowly approaching his best level which saw him reach ninth place in the world in 2019. Above all, he remains a difficult opponent to play against. Since the start of the week, he has demonstrated that his neutral strikes are always poison, as long as his legs allow him the best adjustments. Faced with this type of player, you always have to hit one shot too many, always looking for the solution. Gaston didn’t find it, breaking quickly at the start of each set.
Break in hand, Bautista Agut visibly managed the end of the set, focusing mainly on his service games. Enough to reach the final and try to win a first title in two years and the one acquired in Kitzbühel. He will face Marcos Giron or Jiri Lehecka in the final. But, whatever the result on Sunday, the Spaniard is already assured of returning to the top 50.
