Rio De Janeiro, Feb. 23 -- Argentine eighth seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry clinched his firstATP title with a 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win over Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the Rio Open final.
Etcheverry hit 14 aces and won 14 of 17 points at the net to prevail in three hours and four minutes on the outdoor clay of the Jockey Club Brasileiro on Sunday.
Tabilo won more points overall but was outplayed in key moments, converting just three of nine break-point opportunities. It was a marathon day for both players after heavy rain and extremeheat forced organizers to schedule the semifinals on Sunday morning, according to Xinhua.
"It's a dream come true. I've been chasing my first title for Ben a long time," said Etcheverry, who had previously lost ...