Ramos-Vinolas Wins 1st Career at Bastad, Klizan Clobbers Cuevas at ATP Hamburg

Ramos-Vinolas Downs Hot Sauce for 1st Career Title at Bastad

ADHEREL
It had been four years since Albert Ramos-Vinolas even reached a final on the ATP tour, but on Sunday the 28 year old put all jitters aside to defeat fellow Spaniard Fernando “Hot Sauce” Verdasco 6-3, 6-4 for his first career title at the SkiStar Swedish Open in Bastad.

“If you don’t play with focus 100 percent of the time, you won’t beat anybody,” said Ramos-Vinolas, who held it together for his first career title in his second finalist appearance after 2012 Casablanca. “At the changeover at 5-4 [in the second set], I thought that it was normal to lose my concentration when I was serving for my first title. I am very happy because I recovered well and I came back to win the next game…Sometimes I thought I would never have another chance to win a tournament.”

The No. 3 seed is the fourth first-time ATP winner this year, and beat Verdasco for the first time in four meetings.

While he improved to 1-1 in career finals, the 32-year-old Verdasco fell to 7-14 in career title matches, attempting to build on the Bucharest title he won earlier this year.

Klizan Clobbers Cuevas for 2nd ATP Title of 2016 at Hamburg

No. 7 seed Martin Klizan needed only an hour to capture his second 2016 ATP title on Sunday, upsetting No. 3 seed Pablo Cuevas 6-1, 6-4 in the German Tennis Championships final in Hamburg.

“I didn’t expect I could win this before the tournament started,” Klizan said. “I’m so happy that my face is going to be on that wall with all these great players. I’m very happy to be next to Miroslav Mecir Sr., who also won this tournament as well.”

The Slovak missed 10 months this year due to a right foot injury.

“It was very frustrating months that I spent without playing tennis, without doing the gym or anything,” he said. “Now I’m very fit and very proud of myself that I won another title.”

It was Klizan’s second title this year after Rotterdam, and he improved to a sterling 5-0 in career finals. Cuevas fell to 5-3 in career finals, his fourth final this year, winning on clay at Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.