Spain’s Albert Montanes collected his second ATP title of the season on Sunday by beating Gael Monfils 6-2, 1-2 after the third-seeded Frenchman retired injured at the Mercedes Cup.
The fifth-seeded Montanes needed just 55 minutes to earn the fifth win of his career and claim 72,150 euros (US$61,000) and a new E-Class Mercedes convertible car.
The 30th ranked Montanes had earlier defeated in-form Jurgen Melzer in the quarter-finals and former top-ranked Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero to reach the final in Stuttgart.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“It was a fantastic week. This is a great victory for me and for all of Spain,” Montanes said. “It’s an incredible year for Spain, in football, tennis and basketball. And I’m happy to have added more joy to my country.”
The 17th ranked Monfils lost the first set in 33 minutes. He turned his right ankle in the final game, after which he had the tournament trainer tape it up.
Monfils continued in the second set but conceded defeat during the change after a 2-1 lead.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“My ankle just got worse and worse. I thought I could come back,” he said. “But I wasn’t 100 percent and Albert would have figured out he needed to just move me around for the win.”
Montanes became the sixth Spanish winner in Stuttgart following Rafael Nadal (2007, 2005), David Ferrer (2006), Alex Corretja (1997), Alberto Berasategui (1994) and Jose Higueras (1983).
■SWEDISH OPEN
PHOTO: REUTERS
AP, BASTAD, SWEDEN
Fourth-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain beat defending champion Robin Soderling in three sets to win the clay-court Swedish Open final and claim his first title of the year on Sunday.
The 20th-ranked Almagro outplayed his Swedish opponent in the deciding set to take the match 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in a little less than two hours, for a sixth career title.
After losing the opening set, top-seeded Soderling recovered to break Almagro early in the second and establish a 3-1 lead.
The No.5-ranked Swede clinched that set to take the match into a third but Almagro broke the two-time French Open finalist twice in a row to ease to victory.
Almagro said the win was a “big moment” for him.
“Robin is a great player. Here in Bastad he’s like a hero,” he said, adding he had prepared for the match by trying to imagine how Soderling would play.
“I tried to be him. I was thinking about the match all night and this morning, and finally I can beat him and I’m very happy,” he said.
The 24-year-old Almagro, a clay-court specialist, also beat Soderling when the pair last met, in Madrid in May. On that occasion, Almagro won in straight sets.
■PRAGUE OPEN
AP, PRAGUE
Seventh-seeded Agnes Szavay won her fifth career WTA title by beating eighth-seeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 in the Prague Open final on Sunday.
Szavay broke the 24-year-old Czech in the opening game to dominate the first set.
The 21-year-old Hungarian also won the opening game of the second set but Zahlavova Strycova responded by taking six straight games in her first WTA final.
In the final set, Zahlavova Strycova broke in the third game before the 49th-ranked Szavay fought back to win the match in 1 hour, 56 minutes.
Szavay, who won the Budapest Grand Prix title on July 11, was playing her 10th match in two weeks.
“I was exhausted in the final set,” Szavay said.
■PALERMO OPEN
AP, PALERMO, ITALY
Fifth-seeded Kaia Kanepi defeated defending champion Flavia Pennetta in the final of the Palermo Open on Sunday.
The 25-year-old 1.80m Estonian overcame a nervous start to win 6-4, 6-3.
Top-seeded Pennetta broke the Wimbledon quarter-finalist in the first game but Kanepi broke back in the sixth to draw level at 3-3.
She won the set with two more breaks.
In the second set, Kanepi broke three times to lead 5-2. After Pennetta held her serve, Kanepi served out to win the match.
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