No. 4 Popko wins singles crown, No. 3 Kirkov/Sigouin take doubles at Pensacola Futures
After a year hiatus, the Pensacola Futures Championship was back in full swing the past week-plus on the clay of Roger Q. Scott Tennis Center; Sunday’s grand finale was as memorable as any in the event’s history.
No. 4 seed Dmitry Popko of Kazakhstan won the singles title over unseeded American Aidan Kim 6-1, 6-4, while No. 3 seeds Vasil Kirkov of the U.S. and Canadien Benjamin Sigouin battled victoriously to a 6-4, 4-6, 10-8(third-set tiebreaker) against No. 4 seeds American Sekou Bangoura and Roy Stepanov of Canada in front of boisterous crowds.
Both matches were played at 10 a.m. with singles moved up from noon.
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The 25K pro circuit event was chock-full of excitement, including local star Justin Lyons competing in the Main Draw. The biggest names, top seeds Tennys Sandgren (No. 244 in the world), Nathan Ponwith (No. 393) and Bernard Tomic (No. 394) fell early, as the competition was as fierce as any since it began in 2010.
“There were a lot of pluses this year; our fan attendance over the course of the week was about twice as what we’ve had in the past,” tournament director Skip Vogelsang said. “We’ve had a crowd. The level of players (overall) was higher than we’ve ever had, and thank God the weather held, except for one day. We think we’ve seen some players who are 18 now, but in three or four years we’re going to see them on TV just like we have in the past with Denis Shapovalov, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexander Zverev and Jack Sock. There’s not much I’d change, it worked great.”
With the early upsets, the door was wide open for players like Popko and Kim to reach the singles final.
Kim, who will play at the University of Florida in the Fall, won a quick first game on serve; but Popko answered with six straight games to take the first set.
The second set was much more competitive; Popko took a 1-0 lead after a three-deuce service game, but Kim quickly evened the set score.
After Popko won on serve, Kim bounced back to take consecutive games and a 3-2 lead. Popko did the same against his opponent to go ahead 4-3, before Kim evened the set again.
The biggest game of the match was at 4-4. Kim won the first three points on Popko’s serve; but Popko fought back to 40-40. An ace gave him the advantage, but Kim won the next two points. They went to deuce two more times before Popko took firm control and a 5-4 set lead on a cross-court winner.
Kim fought off one match point before Popko won the championship after a long rally.
The victory was a bright spot in an an otherwise down year for Popko, ranked No. 419.
“This was a good tournament; it feels great to win,” said Popko, who missed some of last season and the start of this one due to injury. “This year didn’t start well for me, so I’m very happy that here is where I found my game, and I’m happy with the way I played. The matches were tough, but I fought through every one.”
The second time playing in Pensacola was the charm for the champion, who reached the semifinals in a rain-soaked 2018.
“I was afraid it was going to rain today—the last time, it was really rainy,” Popko said. “But this year we only missed one day. I like Pensacola—it’s quiet, and nice to play.”
Kim was the tourney’s welcome surprise, as he was unseeded; the 923rd-ranked player reached the finals as he fought off numerous injuries.
He especially appreciated the southern hospitality that Pensacola is known for.
“This has been a roller-coaster of a week, starting with a little bit of an injury coming in,” said Kim, who was quick to thank the tourney trainers. “But I just kept pushing through it, and I really could not have done it without the trainers. The officials and director put on a well-run tournament—this club and this community has been making me feel like a hometown. I really felt their support.”
Kim, who lives and trains in Orlando, said he came into the tourney with a nothing-to-lose attitude.
“I was proud of my mentality this match and this whole tournament,” Kim said. “I’m a bit younger than most of these guys, so I felt there was more pressure on them than there was on me. It was a fun ride.”
Speaking of fun rides, the large local crowd was treated to an epic doubles final match.
After splitting the first two sets, Kirkov and Sigouin broke an 8-8 tie in the third set tiebreaker, then won the title on a net winner.
“It was a great week; this was my first time playing with Ben, so I didn’t really know what to expect,” Kirkov said. “We came out on top, but today was a tough match. I know these guys pretty well. I actually won a title with one of them two weeks ago. We got off to a good start early on, and maybe our energy level dropped a little in the second set. We found ourselves down 8-6 in the breaker, and we just had to find a way. Somehow, luckily we did.”
Kirkov is no stranger to Pensacola.
“My second ever event was here, like seven or eight years ago,” he said. “I’ve been here three times, I think, and enjoy it every single time. I’m thankful for all the people who came out. We don’t usually get this support at many of the tournaments, so this was great. It’s fun to play with the fans.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Popko wins singles crown, Kirkov/Sigouin take doubles at Pensacola Futures
