Tennis – ATP Stockholm Open – Men’s Single Final – Stockholm, Sweden – October 21 2018. Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece poses with his trophy next to Sweden’s Prince Daniel after winning the ATP Stockholm Open tennis tournament men’s single final against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia (not pictured). TT News Agency/Soren Andersson/via REUTERS
October 21, 2018
No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas won his first ATP title on Sunday, beating Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Intrum Stockholm Open in Sweden.
It was the third final of the year for the 20-year-old Tsitsipas, who became the first Greek player to win an ATP title.
Tsitsipas won 80 percent of his service points in the 81-minute victory.
Tsitsipas also reached the finals in the Barcelona Open and the Rogers Cup, where he beat four top-10 opponents on his way to a runner-up finish.
He faced Rafael Nadal in both of his previous finals.
Gulbis was denied in his bid for his seventh title and first since 2014, but praised his foe afterward.
“He played a really good match. He had a great week,” Gulbis said. “Congratulations on your first title. I know it’s a big deal to win your first ATP title, so enjoy it. I wish that it’s not the last one.”
VTB Kremlin Cup
No. 3 seed Karen Khachanov cruised past unseeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-2 to win the title on home soil in Moscow.
It’s the first win by a Russian in nine years at the Kremlin Cup.
Khachanov, 22, converted four of six break opportunities in claiming his second title of the season in just 54 minutes.
Mannarino, 30, fell to 0-6 in tour-level finals and 0-3 against Khachanov with the defeat.
Khachanov has not lost in three finals appearances.
European Open
Top-seeded Kyle Edmund of Great Britain outlasted sixth-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) to win the title at Antwerp, Belgium.
It’s the first title for Edmund, 23, who lost to Monfils, 32, at Wimbledon in 2017 in their only previous meeting.
Monfils, who broke Edmund in his first service game in capturing the opening set, was trying to become the third straight French winner in the event.
Edmund kept pace with Monfils, however, in the second set before dominating the tiebreak.
The third set also went to tiebreak, with Edmund finally prevailing after two hours and 26 minutes.
–Field Level Media
