Australia’s Alex de Minaur on Sunday captured his second ATP Tour title in dominant style, dropping just 10 points on serve in a 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) triumph over Taylor Fritz in a battle of rising stars in Atlanta, Georgia.
Third seed De Minaur, 20, became just the third player to win a title without facing a break point since the ATP Tour began keeping statistics in 1991.
German Tommy Haas did it in Memphis in 2007 and John Isner of the US managed the feat in Newport, Rhode Island, in 2017.
Photo: AP
More importantly, De Minaur cemented his return from a groin injury that sidelined him for nearly two months after he claimed his maiden victory in Sydney in January.
“This one is really special to me,” said De Minaur, who improved to 15-4 on hard courts this season with the US Open looming next month. “I felt like I really needed this. To start the year with a bang and then be slowed down by injuries ... you expect your level to be right there once you come back, but you have to slowly grind your way back. I’ve been playing great tennis and felt like if I could keep it all together, the good results will come. This is a week that will really help me out.”
Second seed Fritz, 21, moved up to a career-high ranking of 28th in the world despite the defeat.
“It was a good week,” Fritz said. “It’s my first time being one of the top seeds and I made it to the final. It hurts so much to lose a final, but I’m still confident and will keep moving forward.”
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