Palm Coast’s Opelka Wins Second ATP Tour Singles Title in Dramatic Fashion, Here in Florida

Competing at the Delray Beach Open in Delray, the 22-year-old former Indian Trails Middle School student had to win two three-set matches in a span of just a few hours, topping former World No. 3 Milos Raonic in a semifinal in the morning, 4-6, 7-6, 6-3 then coming back three hours later to outlast Yoshi Nishioka for the championship, 7-5, 6-7, 6-2.

The two matches in one day was necessary because Saturday night’s semifinal was rained out, and the tournament had to end on Sunday.

It is Opelka’s second ATP 250-level tour victory, and vaulted his ranking back inside the Top 40 to Number 39, just three off his career-high mark.

“I love playing at home. I have a house not far from here, 10 minutes. So I base here, I’ve been here the past 10 years, so I’m very comfortable,” Opelka told the ATP Tour website after the match. “It’s going to be an event I play a lot the rest of my career just because I plan on staying in South Florida. I love playing in Delray.”

To earn the winner’s check of $97,585, Opelka fought off a stiff challenge from Raonic, the former Wimbledon finalist. Opelka dropped the first set 6-4, then seemed in great shape when he took a 5-0 lead in the second set tiebreak. But Raonic ripped off six straight points to gain a match point, before Opelka steadied and won the next three.

He then broke Raonic midway through the third set and again in the final game.

After just a few hours of cool down and warm-back up, Opelka took on Nishioka, who Opelka beat just last week at the New York Open. The 7-footer from Palm Coast took the first set, lost the second, then broke Nishioka (who at 5-foot-7 was 16 inches shorter than his opponent!) twice in the third to take the title.

“I’m just really proud of the way I fought in the third set,” Opelka told the ATP Tour website. “I got an early break and I broke again. Physically I was feeling pretty good. If he broke me and we had to play more tennis, I was fine.”

An exhausted Opelka now flies to Acupulco where he’ll compete this week in another 250-level tournament.