Lehecka had previously thrown Dennis Novak out of the competition in the semifinals. Thanks to his second tournament victory in the current season after that in Biel, the ÖTV player will be Austria’s new number one in the ranking from Monday.
Thanks to the 100 ATP points gained, Rodionov is likely to improve from 157th place to 130th place and will be in better shape than ever. “I couldn’t be happier. With the spectators, with a home crowd, I couldn’t wish for more. I’m mega happy,” said the ÖTV player with roots in Belarus. On May 16, he will be 23 years old, so he made himself an early birthday present. “It was a great week, that makes my birthday a little sweeter,” emphasized Rodionov. He received 12,250 euros in prize money.
He also dedicated the triumph at the clay court event, which was endowed with 90,380 euros, to his mother, who was cheering on the grandstand. “It’s a thank you to my mother on Mother’s Day, she came here specially. This victory also goes to her,” said Rodionov. A “disgusting game” led to success against Lehecka. “I played into his weaknesses. In the end I was probably a bit stronger mentally and made it to the finish by crawling,” summed up the left-hander. The next goal for him is to fight his way into the main competition at the French Open.
View picture gallery
Source: Nachrichten
