For 29 years, the ATP World Tour has descended on the European nation of Portugal. For nearly three decades, the proud country with a rich tennis culture has eagerly waited for one of its own to lift the trophy in front of the home faithful. On Sunday, Joao Sousa finally ended the drought. The Guimarães native had his moment in the spotlight, becoming the first Portuguese-born player to celebrate an ATP World Tour title on home soil. Sousa downed Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 19 minutes to take the Millennium Estoril Open title, dismissing the #NextGenATP American behind four breaks of serve on the red clay. He claimed his third tour-level crown and first since 2015, when...
Alexander Zverev won his second successive BMW Open by FWU title on Sunday, defeating countryman and three-time champion Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 6-3. "I am obviously very happy with how I played," said Zverev. "[I am] very happy to get back-to-back titles here [in Munich]. It is a very special event for me so I am very happy that I could defend my title." The top seed dropped just two points behind his second serve and converted four of his six break point chances to clinch the title for a second time after 71 minutes. The final was the first all-German championship match since Zverev lost to Florian Mayer at the 2016 Gerry Weber Open. After successfully retaining a tour-level event...
Ivan Dodig and Rajeev Ram won their first team title on Sunday, defeating third seeds Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya 6-3, 7-5 at the BMW Open by FWU. "Some important deciding points were crucial," reflected Dodig. "We were feeling better in those moments and that was the key." Dodig and Ram defeated the Croatian-Austrian duo in 78 minutes, saving all three break points they faced to lift the trophy. The second seeds, who had only played once together before 2018 at the 2016 Libema Open, have now won 10 matches as a pairing since becoming a full-time team at the start of this season. Dodig and Ram’s previous best performances as a partnership came earlier this season at the ABN...
Marco Cecchinato clinched his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday, beating fellow first-time ATP World Tour finalist John Millman 7-5, 6-4 at the Gazprom Hungarian Open. The victory sees the 25-year-old Italian rise inside the Top 60 of the ATP Rankings for the first time and he becomes the first lucky loser to win an ATP World Tour title since Leonardo Mayer in Hamburg last year. Afterwards, Cecchinato spoke to ATPWorldTour.com: How does it feel to be holding your first ATP World Tour trophy? It is amazing because the first title in my career is not possible to forget in my life. I am very happy because I lost last Sunday [in qualifying] and now I won the tournament....
Italian Marco Cecchinato lost in the final round of qualifying in straight sets at the Gazprom Hungarian Open. Yet seven days later, the World No. 92 will leave Hungary as a first-time ATP World Tour champion. After gaining entry to the main draw in Budapest as a lucky loser, Cecchinato never looked back. And even though he had never reached a tour-level semi-final prior to this week, the Italian defeated Aussie John Millman, another first-time finalist, 7-5, 6-4 on Sunday to claim his maiden trophy. "I lost Sunday and now I won the tournament. It's amazing for me," Cecchinato said. "Maybe it's a dream, I don't know." Cecchinato is the first lucky loser to triumph since Leonardo Mayer won in...
