By Daniel Nhakaniso
Tennis ace Benjamin Lock capped off a successful tour of South America by clinching the men’s singles title at the Arequipa Open Copa Engie 2024 in Peru on Sunday.
Lock had little trouble in the final as he put on a dominant display to beat Chile’s Matias Soto 6-1 and 6-3 to clinch the title.
The victory against Soto in the final was sweet revenge for the gifted Zimbabwean after he lost to the same opponent in the first round of the San Luis Potosi Challenger back in March.
The 31-year-old Harare-born Davis Cup player has now won two singles title on the ITF Men’s Circuit this season.
His maiden win of the year came in Ethiopia back in May, when he completed a clean sweep of both singles and doubles titles in Addis Ababa.
Lock has also won six doubles titles this on the pro circuit this season, with the major highlight coming in June when he partnered his brother to clinch the Intertionaux de Tennis de Bois in France, becoming the first Zimbabwean pair to claim a title at that level of the game since Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett clinched the US Open in 2005.
This week he was the star of the show at the Arequipa Open Copa Engie 2024.
Also known as the ITF M25 Arequipa MD, the Peru competition is a professional tennis tournament held in Arequipa, Peru.
It is part of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Men’s Circuit, which is a series of tournaments that provide a platform for up-and-coming tennis players to gain valuable ranking points and potentially make a breakthrough in their professional careers.
The M25 category indicates that the prize money for the tournament is US$25,000, which attracts a competitive field of players from around the world.
The tournament takes place on outdoor clay courts, which is a common surface in South America.
Clay courts are known for their slower pace and higher bounce, requiring players to have strong defensive skills and patience.
The surface also adds an element of strategy to the game, as players need to adapt their playing style to the unique characteristics of clay.