The ATP 250 event in Estoril will have a new champion as Frenchman Luca Van Assche squares up against Alexander Blockx for a chance to win their maiden Tour title. Who will win the championship match in Portugal?
ATP Estoril Final
Luca Van Assche vs Alexander Blockx
Head to Head: First Meeting
Sunday’s Estoril final promises fireworks, but the physical toll leading up to it tells its own story. Luca van Assche cruised past compatriot Hugo Gaston 6-4 7-5 to reach his maiden ATP final with legs fresh and confidence high.
Across the net, Alexander Blockx will arrive battered but unbowed after a near three-hour survival act, clawing back from 2-5 down in the second set and 0-4 in the third to stun second seed Luciano Darderi 5-7 7-6(4) 7-6(5).
Two first-time finalists, two very different routes to Sunday. Alexander Blockx arrives as the form horse of this Millennium Estoril Open. The Belgian and fourth seed has been one of the Tour’s most prolific clay-court operators all spring, and his semifinal win over Luciano Darderi only adds to a season already dotted with big scalps, including a breakout run to the final four in Madrid back in April. His serve-forehand combination and physicality on the dirt make him a nightmare matchup for lighter, more finesse-based games, exactly the profile Van Assche brings to the table.
But going against Luca Van Assche this week feels increasingly foolish. The 22-year-old Frenchman, ranked outside the Top 75, has authored the story of the tournament, toppling World #14 Andrey Rublev then backing it up against countryman Hugo Gaston in the semis. Van Assche’s clay pedigree runs deep, and his comfort extending rallies and disguising his shot selection could give Blockx fits if the Belgian isn’t dictating from ball one.
History offers a hint here too: the pair’s only previous meeting came in the Lille Challenger final earlier this season, where van Assche ran out a comfortable 6-2 6-4 winner. Blockx will crave revenge on Portuguese soil, but with fresher legs and a psychological edge from that Lille result, the value looks squarely with the Frenchman. Expect Van Assche to grind out a tight one and claim his first tour title.
Prediction: Van Assche in 3
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
