EASTBOURNE (UK): Feliciano Lopez completed a successful title defence when he beat top seed Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-5 in the Aegon International final on Saturday.
It’s the first time the third-seeded Lopez has retained an ATP title, and the first time he has beaten Gasquet in their six meetings.
Madison Keys earned her first career WTA title by beating Angelique Kerber 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in the women’s final.
Playing in her first final, unseeded 19-year-old Keys became the first American to triumph since Chanda Rubin won back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003, and she is the youngest American to win a singles title since Vania King in Bangkok in October 2006.
”I’m so incredibly happy,” said Keys, who on Monday should be ranked in the top 30 for the first time. ”You know, it’s one of those things where when you’re training and you don’t want to be there, you’re tired or everything hurts, it’s one of those things where you think of this moment, and, you know, it really helps push you through all the hard times.
”My serve was definitely a weapon today, and it really helped me through the entire time.”
Most of the rallies were short and just one break of serve decided the first two sets, with Keys breaking to lead 3-1 in the first and Kerber 2-0 in the second.
Games went with serve in the third until the dramatic 12th game. Kerber held two game points to take the set to a tiebreaker before Keys claimed victory on her fourth match point.
”It’s always not easy when somebody is serving like she did the whole match,” Kerber said. ”She played at a really high level.”
With Coco Vendeweghe winning at s-Hertogenbosch, two American women have won titles in the same week for the first time since February 2002.
Another Spanish man also won a title on Saturday, with Roberto Bautista Agut winning his first title at s-Hertogenbosch. (AP)
