Elmer Moller wins Challenger title to wipe away memories of disappointing fall

Elmer Moller in action against Andrej Martin
Elmer Moller in action against Andrej MartinJoaquin Corchero / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

After a frustrating couple of months, Elmer Moller restored a bit of morale when he won the Challenger tournament in Maia, Portugal by beating Andrej Martin from Slovakia in the final 6-4, 6-1.

Moller has played inspirational tennis throughout the week, and in the four matches to reach the final, he didn't drop a single set. 

The young Dane was ranked 102nd in the world this summer and was on the verge of breaking into the top 100.

However, he has struggled to find his way back to his peak level in the late summer and autumn, and he had dropped to nr. 147 in the world rankings.

Moller ran into trouble early in the final as he was broken immediately and hammered his racket into the ground in frustration after missing a break point soon after.

However, he managed not only to break back, but also to break once more, to take a 3-2 lead. But the 36-year-old Slovak managed to restore parity, and at 4-4, a tiebreak decision approached.

Moller then broke serve again, and despite being behind 15-40 in his own serve, he managed to serve home the set mainly thanks to his terrific backhand. 

Back in 2020, Andrej Martin was ranked number 93 in the world, but the Slovak is nowhere near his previous level and couldn't resist Moller's power in the second set. 

It was Elmer Moller's eighth Challenger final in his career. He has won four of them, all of them on clay. 

21+ | COMPETENT REGULATOR EEEP | RISK OF ADDICTION & LOSS OF PROPERTY | KETHEA HELPLINE: 210 9237777 | PLAY RESPONSIBLY & SAFELY |

Do you want to withdraw your consent to display betting ads?
Yes, change settings