In a remarkable achievement at the Mutua Madrid Open, Lithuanian tennis player Vilius Gaubas secured a historic victory over Argentine Sebastián Báez. Competing in the main draw, Gaubas won the match with scores of 7:5, 6:1 in just under 90 minutes, marking a significant milestone as he became the first Lithuanian to win a main draw match in this prestigious tournament.
Match Overview
The first set was fiercely contested. Gaubas had no break points until the twelfth game, where he advanced to 40:15 while serving. Although he missed his initial two opportunities to close out the set, the struggle continued. After generating two additional chances, Gaubas capitalized on a double fault from Báez to win the first set 7:5.
Medical Timeout and Dominance
After the first set, Báez requested a medical timeout, reportedly due to left thigh pain. However, Gaubas maintained his momentum in the second set. He quickly established a dominating 5:0 lead and converted two breaks of serve. Báez managed to avoid a total rout by winning his first game in the sixth, but Gaubas remained in control and decisively wrapped up the match.
Statistical Highlights
- Gaubas won 59% of points on second serves.
- Báez succeeded in only 42% of points on second serves.
- Gaubas secured 50 ATP ranking points.
- He earned over €31,000 in prize money.
Future Challenges
This victory is particularly significant as Gaubas and Báez had faced each other just three weeks prior in Romania at an ATP 250 tournament, where Báez won decisively with a score of 6:3, 6:1. Báez is a highly ranked player, formerly the world’s number one junior, with claims to the 18th position in the ATP rankings and seven ATP titles to his name. He is known for his prowess on clay, having defeated top players including Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev in his career.
Following this triumph, Gaubas has climbed to 117th place in the live ATP rankings. His next challenge is set against Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime, promising to be an exciting matchup.
