Butvilas wins third career title in dramatic Lexington final

Edas Butvilas captured his third career ATP Challenger title on Sunday, triumphing dramatically over local favorite Andre Ilagan in the Lexington final. The Lithuanian secured the victory with a 6:2, 1:6, 7:6(6) scoreline after a grueling 2 hour and 8 minute match. Butvilas held two match points in the deciding set at 6-4, but Ilagan fought back. Ultimately, an error from Ilagan and a powerful forehand from Butvilas sealed the win. This hard-fought victory serves as sweet revenge for a loss to Ilagan earlier in June at the Tyler Challenger tournament. Arriving in Lexington after a difficult period, Butvilas has now won five matches in a single week. His path to the title included wins over Tristan Boyer, Ozan Baris, Rei Sakamoto, and Dušan Lajović, the latter a former world No. 23. This marks Butvilas' third ATP Challenger final appearance, all of which he has won. His previous titles came in Charleston in 2024 and Crete in 2025, all on hard courts. The Lexington triumph earns him 75 ATP ranking points and $17,000. He climbs to world No. 204, nearing his career-best ranking of No. 201 achieved in March 2025. Butvilas will soon compete in another Challenger 75 event in Indiana, facing Michael Mmoh in the first round.