Rio de Janeiro, Feb 23 (IANS) Tomas Martin Etcheverry captured his maiden ATP Tour title at the Rio Open a 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4 championship-match victory against Alejandro Tabilo.

After Saturday rain postponed his semi-final match, the Argentine persevered through two matches on Sunday (local time) and eventually earned the ATP 500 title.

“This is a dream come true for me. I was looking for a while for my first title. I’ve been working so hard with my team and I can’t believe it,” said Etcheverry, who had previously lost three ATP Tour finals.

“I just tried to give my 100 per cent. It was the final, the last match of the tournament, so I gave my 100 per cent and I think at the end, I have the prize,” he added.

Trailing Tabilo 3-6, 1-3, Etcheverry appeared physically spent, likely from completing his three-set semi-final against Vit Kopriva earlier in the day. But the 26-year-old, who in May 2024 was one point away from his first tour-level title in Lyon (l. Mpetshi Perricard), dug into his deepest reserves to earn a career milestone, ATP reports.

Etcheverry, who earned his 100th tour-level match win on Friday, defeated Tabilo last week in the Buenos Aires quarter-finals and repeated that feat to extend his ATP Head-to-Head series lead to 2-0. Tabilo was aiming for his fourth tour-level crown and first at ATP 500 level.

Up 18 places to No. 33 in the ATP Live Rankings, Etcheverry will return to the Top 40 for the first time since last February.

Earlier, the Brazilian double Joao Fonseca and Felipe Melo defeated the German Constantin Frantzen and the Belgian Robin Haase in the men’s doubles final 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

It was the first home trophy for 19-year-old Fonseca and the second consecutive title for 41-year-old Melo.

–IANS

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