ATP Munich: Christian Garin follows Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem
Ranked outside the top-200 a year ago, young Chilean Christian Garin has worked hard to bring the necessary improvements to his game and become a contender for the place in the top-100, finding the spot among the elite after three straight Challenger titles at the end of the last season. With just ten ATP wins on his tally before 2019, Christian found the form in Sao Paulo where he advanced into the first ATP final, backed by another one in Houston that proved to be his lucky charm, beating Casper Ruud for the first ATP trophy in a career, all that after saving five match points versus Jeremy Chardy!
Christian has followed the same pattern in Munich this week, erasing two match points against the two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final and beating Matteo Berrettini 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 on a cold final day to secure the second ATP title within a month! Christian is the third player in 2019 with multiple ATP titles after Roger Federer and Dominic Thiem, having to work hard to earn it against the rival who had to play the semi-final clash with Roberto Bautista Agut this morning. Heading to Munich after lifting the title in Budapest, Matteo needed just 70 minutes to oust the Spaniard 6-4, 6-2, setting the final meeting with Garin a few hours later and giving his best to grab the second win of the day and second consecutive ATP title.
That looked like a mission impossible after the opening set but the Italian found the way to bounce back, staying competitive in sets two and three and barely missing a chance to put hands on the trophy. The final lasted two hours and eight minutes and Garin had to save eight out of ten break points to stay competitive, securing three breaks on the other hand and delivering the best tennis in the deciding tie break to emerge as the champion. The Chilean was off to a great start, opening a 5-1 lead with breaks in games four and six and fending off four break points in game seven before bringing it home after a forehand mistake from Berrettini.
The Italian raised his level in set number two, staying away from break points and stealing Christian's serve at 4-3 following a loose forehand from the Chilean, blasting an ace in the next game for a hold at love and a 6-3, building the momentum ahead of the final set. There, Garin was the better player in the opening eight games, serving well and clinching a break at 4-3 with a forehand down the line winner, having a chance to wrap up the title on own serve in the next game. Out of sudden, Matteo broke back to prolong the match and his opportunities, only to lose the tie break 7-1 after a volley winner from Garin who is the fifth Chilean with at least two ATP titles in the same season in the Open era, the first since Fernando Gonzalez in 2008.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VDug8X
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