In the city where he was born, Lyon, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard celebrates the first ATP title of his career. In a France-Argentina clash that reminded him of the 2022 World Cup final won by the South Americans led by the legend Leo Messi, the Frenchman defeated 64 16 76(7) Tomas Martin Etcheverry, defeated for the third time in an ATP final and still waiting for the first title.
“It was incredible, now I have a lot of confidence ahead of Roland Garros” said the Frenchman with the beautiful one-handed backhand that saved a match point at 6-7 in the third set tie-break.
Then this evening, Mpetshi Perricard also expects to celebrate another party. Lyon, the team he loves, is in fact involved in the final of the French Cup at 8pm.
World number 117, Mpetshi Perricard is the champion with the lowest ranking in the tournament’s roll of honor and the third player outside the Top 100 with an ATP title under his belt in 2024. Before him, the Italians Luciano had achieved it Darderi (n.136) in Cordoba and Matteo Berrettini (n.135) in Marrakech.
The Frenchman is the seventh player to have won his first ATP title in 2024. In addition to him and the aforementioned Darderi, Jiri Lehecka (Adelaide), Facundo Diaz Acosta (Buenos Aires) have achieved this milestone
Alejandro Tabilo (Auckland), Jordan Thompson (Los Cabos) and Jan-Lennard Struff (Munich).
