Feliciano Lopez extends 26-year career after victory in first round of farewell tournament

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Feliciano Lopez put his retirement on hold by at least another day when he beat Max Purcell in the first round of the Mallorca Championships. </p>

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The 41-year-old, watched by friends Rafael Nadal - back on his native island - Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez, beat the Australian 6-3 7-5 in an emotional opening to his final tournament. </p>

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"It's a really special win for me, probably one of the most special wins of my career so far, to be honest," Lopez said in his on-court interview. </p>

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"This is over my expectations, to be winning a match at this stage of my career in Mallorca, this beautiful place, surrounded by the ones that I love, my friends. </p>

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"Most of them came for my hypothetical last match. Luckily, it wasn't the last match of my life. </p>

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"I have another opportunity tomorrow (against another Australian Jordan Thompson) and this is very overwhelming, I have to say." </p>

<p>The article <a href="https://www.planetsport.com/tennis/news/feliciano-lopez-extends-26-year-career-after-victory-first-round-farewell-tournament">Feliciano Lopez extends 26-year career after victory in first round of farewell tournament </a> appeared first on Planetsport.com.</p>