Bogotá, July 21, 2013.  After nine days of competition, the first edition of the Claro Open Colombia came to an end, where the Croatian tennis player Ivo Karlovic beat the Colombian Alejandro Falla 6-3 and 7-6 (4), and He became the first champion of this tournament belonging to the ATP World Tour 250.

Karlovic, the highest tennis player of the ATP circuit, did not let his rival enter today’s competition and ended up winning the title on Bogotan soil, in a crash that lasted until the hour and 18 minutes of play.

The Croatian’s powerful service was too hard for Cali, who was helpless against a player who endorsed him 18 aces (for a total of 106 in the tournament).

“I am very happy for the victory, I did not expect it, the truth is that my service benefited me a lot,” Karlovic explained at the press conference after the meeting: “The public is wonderful, I would love it like that in Croatia,” he said.

In the first heat, Karlovic managed to break the service to Falla in the first exchange. Thanks to his powerful service and efficient volley, the Zagreb tennis player pulverized the intentions of his rival, who tried to fight, but ended up giving up by 6-3.

In the second episode the match was much more even. Although Falla did not have opportunities to break service to the European, he did manage to take Karlovic to the tie-break after saving three break points. In the tiebreaker, the Croatian won the mini quiebre necessary to serve and, thanks to two powerful services, took the match at Claro Open Colombia.

For his rival today, the week was “very good” and “full of positive things”. “I have nothing to regret, I fought and fought, but Karlovic did not give me opportunities to play hard,” said Caleño after the game.

Despite the defeat, Falla was very optimistic for the remainder of the season. “The goal was to reach the group of the 100 best and I already achieved it, I will try to determine among the fifty in the world,” he said.

“I will play in Atlanta, Washington, Montreal, Cincinnati and the qualifier of the US Open, the opportunity to succeed at home has been lost, but there are going to be more tournaments to do it and I will play for many more years”, concluded Falla.

The finalists received from the hand of Juan Carlos Archila, president of Claro and Humberto Mora, president of Seguros del Estado, the trophies designed by Liliana Botero and Natalia Arango of the company LMNT – element.

It is a textured silver structure that shapes the trophy, represents the weavings and basketry of the Colombian artisans. His intertwined and fluid figure evokes the movement, dance and sensuality that is transmitted in all regions of our country. This trophy is the triumphant dance to success, to the glorious moment of being champion, the first, which is worthy of the largest and purest Esmeralda, the Colombian Esmeralda, which lies in the depth of the land of Boyacá and which in this case it is protected with a silver forged sphere and details in filigree, which is the center of this game and the zenith of this trophy. The plates are engraved with the representation of the trophy and an encrusted Esmeralda.