Dutchman top seed Max Houkes clinched the Rwanda Open men’s singles title on Sunday, October 19, after overcoming Morocco’s Yassine Dlimi in three sets 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in a gripping final at RP-Kicukiro Ecology Tennis Club. Houkes, last week’s quarterfinalist, battled back after dropping the second set to regain control in the decider, using his consistent baseline play and tactical variety to outlast Dlimi. Last week was not my best but I happy that I won the title this week, said Houkes. The victory marked his first M25 title in Kigali and a satisfying redemption after falling short in the previous tournament. Dlimi, who had stunned defending champion Corentin Denolly in the semifinals, continued his impressive run with aggressive shot-making but couldn’t maintain the same intensity in the final set as Houkes pulled away. The win caps a strong fortnight for the Dutchman, who has now reached back-to-back finals in Kigali and confirmed his growing dominance on the ITF circuit in East Africa.
