​Newport’s Van Alen Cup celebrations unfolded in strikingly different fashion for Jacob Fearnley and Tatjana Maria, each carving out his or her own distinctive route to triumph on the grass. On a postcard Sunday just a short walk from Bellevue Avenue, the Cerity Partners Hall of Fame Open crowned its singles champions whose paths diverged by more than an hour on court.
Fearnley endured a dramatic battle against Adam Walton, saving six match points and nearly tumbling into trouble of his own before sealing a 5-7, 7-6 (8), 6-4 victory for his fifth ATP Challenger title and his first since 2024. By contrast, Maria approached her final with a steadier tempo, letting others carry the drama on the grass and calmly defeating Katie Volynets in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, securing her second consecutive season with a title on this surface and righting the wrongs of last year’s three-set loss in the inaugural WTA 125 event here.
After Wimbledon, Fearnley admitted he wasn’t sure whether to make the quick turnaround to Newport, but he was elated with the decision. “After Wimbledon I was debating coming or not because it was quite a quick turnaround. I’m so happy I did,” he said. Maria, focused and composed, explained she avoided dwelling on the previous year and focused on playing point by point. “I was really happy that I was able to stay aggressive,” she remarked.
The two finalists were the third match on the stadium court, sticking it out in the sun far longer than anticipated. Walton surged to seize the first set with a late break, and he forged ahead to a 5-1 advantage in the second, only for the momentum to flip dramatically. He was broken twice while attempting to serve out and faced another missed opportunity with a 7-6 lead in the tiebreak. “You just relax—you think you’re almost going home,” Fearnley reflected. “You’re thinking, ‘You’ve had a good week.’ And then things connect.”
The pair traded winners up to 8-8 in the tiebreak before Walton hit his fifth double fault of the afternoon, giving Fearnley a third-set point. Walton’s forehand return sailed long, and Fearnley reached the deciding set at 1-1 with both players having accumulated 80 points by that stage, yet Fearnley appeared to carry the momentum. Maria’s remarks after the match highlighted her own confidence: “I was making a few mistakes, but my feeling on the ball was good. I felt, ‘Why not?’ You have a swing, and then an hour later you’re competing for the title.”
In the final set, Fearnley broke Walton early to take a 2-0 lead and eventually built a 4-1 cushion. The match swung again as Walton fought back to 4-3, but Fearnley secured the victory when Walton’s forehand volley sailed long on match point, prompting a celebration that capped an extraordinary week. “I was just happy to be there,” Fearnley said. “I told myself to stay calm and enjoy it.”
Fearnley’s road to the final included a marathon comeback in the opening round against Alex Michelsen, where he overcame a two-set deficit to advance in London, underscoring his resilience as he chased his fifth Challenger title and his first since last year.