Overview
- The Argentine qualifier beat top seed and defending champion Luciano Darderi 6-4, 7-6 (2) in Saturday’s Marrakech semi-final to make his first ATP title match.
- His run started in qualifying with wins over Hynek Barton and Rai Sakamoto, then continued through the main draw past Henrique Rocha, No. 5 seed Kamil Majchrzak, and a comeback over No. 3 seed Corentin Moutet.
- The victory set an Open Era record as he became the oldest man to reach his first ATP final, surpassing Victor Estrella Burgos, who was 34 when he made his maiden final in 2015.
- The week guarantees his first ATP top-100 ranking, with live standings placing him in the mid-70s and a title likely pushing him closer to No. 65, which matters for direct entry into Grand Slams like Roland Garros.
- He next faces Spain’s Rafael Jodar, 19, with both contesting their first tour final, and his breakthrough carries added weight given his 2015 whistleblowing on match-fixing that brought personal strain but later drew public support from Novak Djokovic.