Hometown hero! Mpetshi Perricard saves MP, wins dream Lyon crown

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard cut through tie-break tension to complete a dream week and lift his maiden ATP Tour title in the city of his birth Saturday at the Open Parc.

Roared on by a vocal Lyon crowd, the 20-year-old wild card battled past sixth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a dramatic championship match at the ATP 250. Mpetshi Perricard was a point away from defeat at 6/7 in the deciding-set tie-break but held firm for a famous two-hour, 29-minute win in just his fourth tour-level event.

“It was crazy, a very good final,” said Mpetshi Perricard, who fell backwards onto the clay after converting his second championship point. “I was down in the second set, but I managed to do better. I’m very happy to win this tournament and I now have a lot of confidence for Roland Garros.”

📣 REMEMBER THE NAME 📣

A first title on home ground, it’s a day to remember for Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard ♥️@OpenParcARA | #OpenParc pic.twitter.com/ylL9NGCeHp

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 25, 2024

It is the second year in a row that a young French star has triumphed in Lyon, after Arthur Fils also won his maiden ATP Tour crown there last year. Overall, Mpetshi Perricard is the fourth French champion in seven editions of the clay-court ATP 250.

He was forced to hold his nerve to prevail in an absorbing maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Etcheverry, who was also chasing his first tour-level title but entered the final with the experience of two previous ATP Tour final appearances behind him. Mpetshi Perricard did not let a bad missed forehand volley at 5/4 in the tie-break get to him, however, and he closed out victory with the help of some typically fierce groundstrokes.

“Everything [was happening],” said Mpetshi Perricard, when asked about the deciding tie-break. “I was thinking about many, many things. When I missed the volley at 5/4, it was difficult for me, but I saved one match point and I’m very happy to win.”

Mpetshi Perricard finished having converted three of six break points he earned against Etcheverry, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He is the third player from outside the Top 100 of the PIF ATP Rankings to win an ATP Tour title this season (after No. 136 Darderi in Cordoba and No. 135 Berrettini in Marrakech). He is also the lowest-ranked titlist in Lyon tournament history.

The 20-year-old will not be outside the Top 100 much longer, however. Thanks to his Lyon run, during which he also earned the biggest win of his career by beating World No. 19 Alexander Bublik, the Frenchman will on Monday rise 51 spots to a career-high World No. 66.