Spain’s Rafael Jódar Wins 40th Grand Prix Hassan II of Tennis in Marrakech
Marrakech – Spain’s Rafael Jódar claimed the singles title at the 40th edition of the Grand Prix Hassan II on Sunday, defeating Argentina’s Marco Trungelliti in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) at the Royal Tennis Club de Marrakech.
The match lasted just one hour and eight minutes. Jódar, ranked 89th in the world, controlled the contest from the opening exchanges and gave his opponent few chances throughout. He took the first set 6-3 before closing out the second 6-2 in dominant fashion.
Jódar reached the final after beating fellow Argentine Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals. Trungelliti, a qualifier, upset top seed and defending champion Luciano Darderi of Italy in a tight semifinal, winning 6-4, 7-6. Despite falling short in the final, the 36-year-old Argentine produced a remarkable run through the draw.
After his victory, Jódar told reporters the title was the result of sustained hard work and discipline. “Since my childhood, I have always given the best of myself,” he said. He described the win as the start of a new chapter in his career and expressed his ambition to keep climbing the rankings.
The doubles title went to the American pair of Robert Cash and James Tracy, who beat Bart Stevens of the Netherlands and Vasil Kirkov of the United States 6-2, 6-3 on Saturday.
The tournament ran from March 30 to April 5. It is the only ATP 250 event on the African continent and is entirely funded by the Moroccan monarchy.
The competition was founded in 1984 as an ATP Challenger event in Casablanca before being elevated to ATP Tour status in 1990. It relocated to Marrakech in 2016.
Over its four-decade history, the tournament has featured notable champions, including Morocco’s own Hicham Arazi in 1997 and Younes El Aynaoui in 2002. The total prize money for this edition stood at €612,620.
This year’s field included Darderi (19th), the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor (30th), France’s Corentin Moutet (32nd), and the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac (48th). Jódar succeeds Darderi, who won the 39th edition last year by defeating Griekspoor in two tiebreak sets.
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