Santo Domingo.- The time has come to welcome the Dominican tennis player most outstanding in history to the Hall of Fame of Dominican Sports.
Víctor Estrella has been selected to enter the pantheon of immortals of sports, and his exaltation ceremony this Sunday, November 17, will be a tribute to the venue, hosting one of the most prominent figures in national sports.
The selection was made by the sports journalism group, responsible for annually choosing a baseball player and an athlete from another discipline.
In this way, sports journalists from all over the country exercised their duty to vote for two athletes to be immortalized, reported Dionisio Guzmán, president of the Permanent Committee of the Hall of Fame. The other designation of the chroniclers fell on the former Major League pitcher, Octavio Dotel.
Guzmán announced that now there are five athletes selected to be honored at the 58th Ceremonial, which will take place on the third Sunday of November, from 10:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the Hall of Fame.
The first selected were the pitcher Fernando Hernández, the propellers Mayo Sibilia and Luis Ángel Montalvo.
Seven-time Central American medalist
Estrella is, without a doubt, one of the most distinguished Dominican athletes in international competitions.
He officially retired in the Challenger of Santo Domingo on October 9, 2019, after debuting with the Davis Cup team in 1998.
He is the owner of eight medals in official competitions, such as the Central American and Pan American Games.
He is one of the few athletes, both Dominican and of any other nationality, who have obtained three consecutive championships in Central American and Caribbean Games, triumphing in the singles category in Mayagüez 2010, Puerto Rico; Veracruz 2014, Mexico, and Barranquilla 2018, Colombia.
He debuted winning a silver medal in singles at the Central American Games of El Salvador 2002 and repeated the same feat in Cartagena de Indias 2006 (Colombia), but in men’s doubles with another great athlete like Johnson García.
In the same edition of Cartagena, Estrella added two more bronzes to his record, in individual and mixed doubles. Estrella’s balance in the Central American Games includes three gold medals, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.
His other achievement in official competitions, adding eight, was the bronze obtained in the Pan American Games of Guadalajara 2011, Mexico.
He was a member of the Davis Cup team of the Dominican Republic from 1998 to 2013. His personal record is 33-13 and 18-18 in doubles, completing a total record of 51-31.
He is the player with the most wins in the history of the competition for his country, being the Dominican with the most victories in both singles and doubles. He also stands out for being the one who has participated for the most years (15 in total) and the one who has disputed the most eliminations (38) in the entire history of the Davis Cup for his selection.
Along with Jhonson García, he formed the most outstanding pair in the history of Dominican tennis.
Three World Tour 250 titles
Víctor Estrella, born on August 2, 1980, in Santiago, also won three titles in the World Tour 250 of the Association of Professional Tennis Players (ATP, in English).
He achieved these victories on the clay courts of Quito, Ecuador, against world-renowned tennis players such as the Spanish Feliciano López, the Brazilian Thomas Bellucci, and the Italian Paolo Lorenzi.
His achievements took place in consecutive years; the first on February 8, 2015, defeating López with a score of 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(5). On February 7, 2016, he crowned himself against Bellucci, with sets of 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, and the following year (February 12) he overcame Lorenzi 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-6(6).
In addition, Estrella participated in two doubles finals, the first on February 7, 2015, in Quito alongside the Brazilian Joao Souza, losing 5-7, 6-7(3) to the Germans Gero Kretschmer and Alexander Satschko.
On the other hand, on April 9, 2016, in Houston, Víctor and the Mexican Alejandro González fell 6-4, 3-6, (8-10) against the American twins Bob and Mike Bryan.
His career in ATP tournaments includes five victories in finals disputed in the Challengers of Medellín (Colombia, 2011); Quito and Bogotá, both in 2013; Salinas and Morelos (Mexico 2014 and 2015), defeating Alejandro Falla 6-7 (2), 6:4, 6-4), Marco Trungelliti (2-6, 6-4, 6-4), Andrea Collarini (6-3, 6-3) and Damir Dzumhur (7-5, 6-4) and in the final of November 2013 against Thomaz Bellucci, 6-2, 2-0 (the Brazilian retired due to an abdominal injury).
He also played and won the doubles finals in the Challengers of Pereira and Sarasota, in 2009; Cancún 2010 and Bogotá 2012, alongside João Souza, Santiago González (in 2009 and 2010) and Marcelo Demoliner.
Best ATP ranking position
On May 11, 2015, Estrella reached the 43rd position in the ATP singles ranking. He achieved all his accomplishments after turning 30, entering the ATP Top 100 for the first time at 33 years old and winning his first ATP title and entering the Top 50 over 34 years old. In doubles, he reached the 135th position on July 13, 2015.
Individual feats
At 33 years old, Estrella secured his place in the ATP Top 100, allowing him to compete directly in Roland Garros, becoming the first Dominican to participate in an ATP Grand Slam.
In his debut in the first round of Roland Garros 2014, he faced the Polish Jerzy Janowicz, number 21 in the world. Despite the 4-set loss 6-1 6-4 7-6 6-4, the achievement of winning a set marked a milestone as the first Dominican to achieve such a result in a Grand Slam, and although he lost, the points he earned allowed him to rise to the 90th position in the world.
This success led him to compete in the Queen’s Club ATP 250 tournament and in his second Grand Slam tournament, the 2014 Wimbledon Tennis Open.
In August 2014, Estrella achieved his third consecutive Grand Slam, the US Open. Before starting his first-round match against Igor Sijsling, he had already established records as the first Dominican to participate in the main draw of the US Open and, at 34 years old, the oldest player to debut in a main draw of a Grand Slam.
He overcame a set in reverse to defeat Sijsling 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. In the third round, he faced the Canadian Milos Raonic, number five in the world, who after a tough battle eliminated Estrella from the tournament.
credits of the images of this post: Elnacional.com.do
