Paolo Lorenzi is the epitome of a battle-hardened athlete; it took him 14 attempts to win his first Grand Slam match, and it was a long eleven years after turning pro that he made his first final in 2014.
The Italian has fought tirelessly to forge a successful career for himself, and after numerous beltings at the hands of top 10 players and many inconsistent performances, it seemed as though he may never break through for a title.
2016 Success
However, 2016 has brought phenomenal results for Lorenzi, he reached a career high ranking of 48 in June and now he has won his maiden ATP World Tour title in Kitzbuhel.
The 34-year-old was not a favourite to win in Austria, with players like Dominic Thiem and Philip Kohlschreiber in the draw, however, they fell and Lorenzi took advantage, dropping one set en route to his maiden title.
He faced Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili in the final, also fighting for his for his first tournament triumph, and was clinical, winning the match 6-3 6-4.
Performance in the Final
The final was always going to be determined by the abilities of the players’ serve, as both serves are not weapons. The two would have to concentrate and place the ball perfectly on the clay.
There were seven breaks of serve throughout the match, with the Italian breaking Basilashvili twice in the first set without facing a break point himself. The worry for Lorenzi was always going to be his first serve percentage, which languished at 43 percent in the first set.
His saving grace would be winning 90 percent of points when he made his first serve, along with 62 percent on his second serve, establishing that he was able to dictate the points early.
The Georgian served well throughout the match, making 76 percent of his first serves, but the Italian’s returning skills reigned supreme, especially in the second set where he would win 59 percent of first serve return points. It was a stunning display by Lorenzi and his returning more than made up for his poor serving.
It was the opposite for Basilashvili who only managed to win 21 percent of first serve return points, a poor figure when playing a man who is not well known for his serve, although he did hit 25 aces earlier on in the year against Bernard Tomic in Quito in February.
Creating a Little History
Overall the tournament was decided by who was able to return in a more consistent fashion, and that was certainly Lorenzi, who established this week that dreams do come true and that age is no barrier anymore in the world of tennis.
This year pundits have seen Victor Estrella Burgos win in Quito at 35-years-old, Ivo Karlovic win in Newport at 37 and now Lorenzi becoming one of the oldest first-time winners at 34.
It is a remarkable story, thirteen years after turning pro, the Italian has warmed the hearts of many for his tenacity and determination to get the best out of himself. He will also reach a new career-high ranking of around 40th in the world.