.png)
In a thrilling final of the 36th Plava Laguna Croatia Open, played in front of a packed crowd at ATP Stadium Goran Ivanišević, 21-year-old Spaniard Daniel Merida defeated crowd favouriteDamir Dzumhur 2-1 in sets. Merida arrived in Umag ranked No. 82 in the world and had played just 10 ATP Tour matches before this tournament.
"This is huge. Winning a major tournament for the first time is a special feeling. I was a bit nervous when I served for the match, and Dzumhur started playing better as well. I'm overjoyed with this result," said Merida, who received the winner's trophy from the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic.
Although experience was firmly on Dzumhur's side, it never unsettled Merida, even when the Bosnian fought his way back by claiming the second set after Merida had dominated the opener. In the deciding set, however, the young Spaniard once again showed why he had entered the final as the favorite.
With a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory, Merida lifted the first ATP trophy of his career. Remarkably, he competed in Umag with a very small support team, consisting essentially of just his girlfriend, and leaves Croatia with the biggest achievement of his career.
Dzumhur, who understandably ran out of energy in the third set after several demanding matches earlier in the week, graciously acknowledged that Merida deserved the victory. The experienced Bosnian therefore remains without a title after his ninth appearance in Umag.
"People always say there's room for improvement, but considering how much energy I'd spent, I believe I gave everything I had. I surprised myself with how hard I was able to fight, but eventually I just ran out of fuel. Merida was incredibly aggressive, and I tried everything to disrupt his rhythm," said Džumhur, who made his ninth appearance in Umag. After reaching the semifinals last year, he went one step further this time by making the final.
During the trophy ceremony, both finalists thanked tournament director Tomislav Poljak and praised the outstanding organization of the event.
The closing ceremony featured the trophy presentation, with the winner's trophy presented by the President of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic. The ceremony was also attended by Dragan Pujas, President of the Management Board of Plava Laguna, who presented Merida with the winner's cheque, while Vilma Uceta-Duzlevska, President of the Management Board of Triglav osiguranje, presented Damir Dzumhur with the runner-up trophy.
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
