Felix Auger-Aliassime ends run of final defeats to claim maiden ATP Tour title in Rotterdam | Tennis News

Auger-Aliassime after ending run of final losses by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rotterdam for a long-awaited victory: « I’ve had sleepless nights thinking about this title and why I can’t overcome this feat »

Felix Auger-Aliassime finally claimed his first ATP Tour title after eight previous final defeats with victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in Rotterdam.

Third seed Auger-Aliassime, who saw off Briton Cameron Norrie earlier in the tournament, needed just 78 minutes to complete a 6-4 6-2 win in the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament on Sunday.

« I played my first ATP main draw here a couple of years ago, so it is right I won my first title here, » Auger-Aliassime said. « I have a lot of good memories playing here in front of you, so thank you for making it a special week for me that I will remember for the rest of my life. It is the happiest day of my career and hopefully it is the first of many to come.

« I can’t explain the weight off my shoulder right now. I got a little bit emotional with my family, you know, towards the end after the match. It’s crazy, I’ve had sleepless nights thinking about this title and why I can’t overcome this feat. I didn’t have a clear reason.

« I think this year I just wanted to be to overcome that. I wanted to be a better player overall, more consistent, more solid in my mind. And I think today I showed that and this week I showed it against the best players in the world. So incredibly happy just to get this first title under my belt and now I can play more freely, almost. »

Auger-Aliassime defeated Norrie in straight sets during Friday’s quarter-finals

Auger-Aliassime, who reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, broke top seed Tsitsipas in the first game of the match and held serve throughout the opening set before racing into a 5-1 lead in the second.

Tsitsipas held serve to keep the match alive but was unable to forge a single break point against Auger-Aliassime, who served out confidently for the title.

Kontaveit continues winning run in Russia

Anett Kontaveit overcame Maria Sakkari 5-7, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the final of the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy on Sunday for her fourth straight WTA indoor title.

Anett Kontaveit’s victory extends her indoor winning streak

The second-seeded Kontaveit needed nearly three hours to beat top-seeded Sakkari, recovering from being a break down in the second and third sets to claim her sixth singles title overall.

It was the Estonian’s 20th consecutive indoor win, which includes her runs to titles at Ostrava, Moscow and Cluj-Napoca at the end of last season.

Kontaveit becomes just the sixth player with at least 20 consecutive indoor wins since 1989 and the first since Justine Henin won 22 indoor matches in a row between Stuttgart 2007 and Stuttgart 2010.