Led by a set by the Japanese comeback in the final, the 27-year-old Frenchman showed character to win a first coronation on the ATP circuit.
He did it! Alexandre Müller, 27, won the first title of his career on the circuit on Sunday by winning the ATP 250 in Hong Kong. In the final, the 27-year-old Frenchman, very moved after his victory, beat the returning Kei Nishikori, 106th in the world and guest, in three sets (2-6, 6-1, 6-3).
Trailing a set to zero as in each round of the tournament this week, Müller, 67th player in the world, once again turned the situation around – becoming the 2nd player in history to win an ATP tournament by systematically losing the first round of his matches – to finally triumph, in his second contested final (after that in Marrakech in 2023).
«It was an incredible week for me, losing the first set every time but ending up winning“, he explained. “I tried to stay calm between points in each match so as not to waste energy».
In a field stripped by the early elimination of the first four seeds before the semi-finals, Müller himself took out the 20th in the world, his compatriot Arthur Fils, in the quarter-final.
Strength of character
On Sunday, he suffered from the start against the former world No.4, who fell to 106th place, who benefited from an invitation from the organizers. Nishikori broke at 2-2 in the first set, with a magnificent backhand down the line after a twelve-shot exchange. His very aggressive backhand returns allowed the Japanese to take the Frenchman's service again at 4-2. The 35-year-old veteran took the first set after just 36 minutes of play.
In the second round, the Frenchman, more dynamic in his strikes, broke free. At 2-1 then 4-1 in his favor, Müller easily managed to break his opponent, who already seemed to be planning for the last set. Nishikori had a break point at 5-1 but the Frenchman held on and converted his first set point.
In the third set, Müller got two break points at 1-1 but Nishikori, still impressive on the backhand, avoided the danger. He did not succeed at 3-3, when the Frenchman, whom he was no longer able to threaten with his commitments, took his chance on the return. The native of Poissy, west of Paris, then won the game on his first match point, obtained on Nishikori's serve.
Best career ranking
Müller, who has been on the Challengers circuit for a long time, has the opportunity in 2025 to take on another dimension by confirming his recent progress. The Frenchman, who has held the best ranking of his career since the beginning of December, will improve it further on Monday, to around 56th place.
For his part, the Nippon, four-time quarter-finalist in Melbourne, will approach the next Australian Open, which begins in a week, reassured about the newfound quality of his game but with questions about his ability to keep up the pace in matches potentially played in five sets.
