Reilly Opelka Defeats Brayden Schnur to Win New York Open for First ATP Title
On Saturday night Reilly Opelka saved six match points, on Sunday the 21-year-old from the U. S. needed six match points to close out Canadian qualifier Brayden Schnur 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(7) to win the New York Open in Uniondale, NY for his first title on the ATP World Tour.
The 6’11” Opelka hammered 43 aces past his opponent, the same number he hit the previous night against countryman John Isner who was the top seed in the tournament. Opelka hit a total 156 aces in the tournament.
Opelka had chances to close out the match in straight sets, serving for the match up 6-5 in the second set tiebreak but double-faulted. Schnur fought back and took the set.
“This is definitely my biggest title yet – the one I’m most proud of for sure,” said Opelka. “It’s been a lot of years coming as you remember from probably 2005 with Tom Gullikson back in Palm Coast, so it’s been a million people along the way, so many different people have helped me, and now I want to go a lot further than this even.”
Before this week the Canadian, ranked 154 in the world, had never even won a match in the main draw of an ATP Tour-level tournament. Not only did he win his first match, but reached his first final, and came just a little short.
“This is something I dreamed of as a kid.”
??Heartfelt emotions from first-time ATP finalist @BraydenSchnur ?? pic.twitter.com/w7xpmjlhS2
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 17, 2019
“I’m emotional because this has been an amazing week for me,” Schnur said during the trophy ceremony. “This is something that I dreamed of as a kid and there has been so many people that have helped me along the way. It’s too long of a list to thank them all but from the early mornings, my parents helped me so much. If someone would have told me back in December that I would make an ATP final, I don’t think I would have believed them.“
“Coming from Dallas [Challengers] I wasn’t even sure if I was going to show up here. I wasn’t feeling good. I was tired, but I just ended up coming here,” said Schnur in his post-match news conference. “And obviously making an ATP final blows my mind, you know it’s been an unbelievable week, I’ve
soared to new heights in the ranking and things are going to change. But it just sucks to go down the way it happened and have a challenge at 7-7 – that close – and then a 30 second break and then to hit a second serve into the net – a double fault- is super tough. It’s just unfortunate because I left everything I could on the court and it didn’t go my way but that’s how sports are.”
Opelka’s ranking will rise from No. 89 to No. 56 in the world.
On his new ranking, Opelka said: “I’m [still] going to Delray [Beach] this week, I’m flying out tomorrow. Taylor Fritz made it #40 in the
world and he won a Challenger two weeks ago. So I definitely wouldn’t say they’re behind me, no. The opportunities for bigger tournaments are definitely there now and it just makes everything easier in my schedule knowing where I can play.”
On Monday Schnur will jump up to a career-high No. 107.
Schnur talked about his emotions on court after the loss: “Obviously losing is extremely tough. I’m young in my career and everything but it’s just people work so hard for these moments, and a lot of you guys probably don’t realize you know only a handful of people
know how hard I really worked for this.”
“I’m not the most talented guy out on the court. From 14 years old, my coach asked me to wake up everyday at 5:30 to train. I did that for years, all the way to college, you know coming out of college with a really bad knee injury, never really knowing if I was ever going to be able to play at my full potential again. Two years later recovering form that, and then obviously now being here. It’s just a roller coaster ride. So many times I doubted myself and having this week has been unbelievable.”
Singles – Final
R. Opelka (USA) d [Q] B. Schnur (CAN) 61 67(7) 76(7)
Doubles – Final
K. Krawietz (GER) / A. Mies (GER) d S. Gonzalez (MEX) / A. Qureshi (PAK) 64 75
NEW YORK OPEN – NEW YORK, USA
$777,385
11-17 FEBRUARY 2019
RESULTS – FEBRUARY 17, 2019
Men’s
Singles – Final
R. Opelka (USA) d [Q] B. Schnur (CAN) 61 67(7) 76(7)
Men’s
Doubles – Final
K. Krawietz (GER) / A. Mies (GER) d S. Gonzalez (MEX) / A. Qureshi (PAK) 64 75
