Monfils Claims Virgin Title at ATP Sopot

"I have to stay down to earth, keep working and practicing hard, in order to get ready for the US Open," said Monfils, eyeing the slam where last year he competed as a junior. "I want to win many more titles. Life continues, and I still have to improve a lot of things."

Mayer double-faulted on set point at 6-5 in the opening-set tiebreak, with both players feeling each other's games out early and taking in the atmosphere in their first career finals.
"It's a pity that I made a double fault on the most important point of the match," Mayer said of his first-set choke. "I really played great after Monfils was leading 5-2, and it's disappointing that this double fault happened."

The 18-year-old Monfils is the third teenager to win a title in 2005 after Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet. Monfils is also the sixth player to win his first career title in 2005 after Xavier Malisse (Delray Beach), Wayne Arthurs (Scottsdale), Igor Andreev (Valencia), Gasquet (Nottingham) and Mario Ancic (s'Hertogenbosch).

In the doubles final, the No. 4-seeded Polish tandem of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski defeated the No. 3-seeded Argentine pair of Lucas Arnold and Sebastian Prieto 7-6(7), 6-4 for their first title of the year.