Buse Wins Maiden ATP Title In Hamburg
Hope
Ignacio Buse secured the biggest title of his career on Saturday after defeating sixth seed Tommy Paul 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-3 to win the Bitpanda Hamburg Open in Germany.
The 22-year-old qualifier battled through difficult physical conditions during the three-hour, three-minute final at Am Rothenbaum to claim his maiden ATP Tour title. Buse received medical treatment for dizziness early in the match but recovered strongly after losing the opening four games of the second set.
The victory makes Buse the first Peruvian player to win an ATP Tour singles title since Luis Horna triumphed in Vina del Mar in 2007. He also becomes only the fourth Peruvian man to win a tour-level singles title after Horna, Pablo Arraya and Jaime Yzaga.
Speaking after the victory, Buse dedicated the achievement to his family and supporters.
“It’s fully emotional for my family. So many people involved that I cannot describe,” Buse said.
The Peruvian is also the first qualifier to win an ATP Tour title since Valentin Vacherot won the Rolex Shanghai Masters last October. He joins Nikoloz Basilashvili and Daniil Medvedev as the only qualifiers to win ATP 500 titles since the series format began in 2009.
Buse gained momentum in the deciding set after converting his fifth break-point opportunity in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. According to ATP statistics, he converted five of the 12 break points he created during the match.
The victory was also Buse’s first Lexus ATP Head to Head meeting with Paul and improved his record against Top-30 opponents to 4-3. Three of those wins came during his title run in Hamburg.
Buse is now projected to rise 26 places to World No. 31 in the PIF ATP Rankings, which would see him break into the Top 50 for the first time in his career.
