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'Lucky loser' Stakhovsky ends up winner in final

Sergiy Stakhovsky reacts after winning the Zagreb Indoor tennis tournament on Saturday. PHOTO: EPA

Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine won his first ATP title with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic on Saturday, becoming the first "lucky loser" to win a tour crown in 17 years.

The 22-year-old, 209th-ranked Stakhovsky faced only one break point, converted two of five of his own break opportunities, and prevailed in 1 hour, 49 minutes.

He improved to 5-0 this season and became the first player to win a tour event after advancing from qualifying as a lucky loser since Argentine Christian Miniussi won Sao Paulo in 1991. Stakhovsky, who came into the tournament with a career 6-13 match record, is only the fourth man in the history of the tour to achieve the feat.

He had not played on the main tour since San Jose more than a year ago and his previous best showing in eight attempts was a quarter-final appearance in Milan in 2005.

Ljubicic was his third seeded victim, after he beat No. 2 Ivo Karlovic and No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic on the way to the final.

"Stakhovsky played great, I tried everything, but he just didn't give me any chances. I had only one chance for a break in the entire match, but failed to grab it," Ljubicic said.

"It's hard to say anything, it's like a dream ... The entire week has been amazing and I hope I will have more successes like this in future."

Sergiy Stakhovsky, winner of Zagreb Indoor tournament

"It's hard to say anything, it's like a dream ... The entire week has been amazing and I hope I will have more successes like this in future," Stakhovsky said.
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