New Delhi, Feb 22: Greek player Stefanos Sakellaridis claimed his maiden singles title on the ATP Challenger circuit with a gruelling three-set win over fifth seed Briton Oliver Crawford at the Delhi Open here Sunday.
The 21-year-old secured a hard-fought 7-5, 5-6, 7-6(6) victory in the final that lasted three hours and nine minutes.
There were five breaks of serve in the opening set that Sakellaridis pocketed to nose ahead. The Greek carried the momentum into the second set, breaking early to take a 2-0 lead.
However, Crawford responded strongly, drawing on his experience to turn the set around and level the match. Sakellaridis broke in the opening game of the deciding set but was unable to consolidate. Crawford then won six of the next seven games to surge ahead 5-2. Just when the match appeared to be slipping away, the Greek staged a remarkable comeback, winning three consecutive games to level the set 5-5.
The contest was eventually decided in a tense final-set tie-break, where Sakellaridis prevailed 8-6 on his second match point to seal the title.
With the win, Sakellaridis earned 75 ATP ranking points, while Crawford collected 44 ranking points. The Greek is projected to rise to a career-high ranking inside the top 230, while Crawford is expected to return to the top 200 in the rankings. (PTI)
