Chennai, Jan 8 (IANS) Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 to lift the Chennai Open tennis title on Sunday.
The World No.14 needed an one hour and 13 minutes to beat the unseeded Russian, ranked 99th in the world, and pocket $79,780.
It was Bautista Agut's first title at Chennai, in his second final after having lost to Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in 2013.
The second seed broke Medvedev's serve in the fourth game of the first set to surge to a 3-1 lead and soon wrapped up the first set in 33 minutes.
The 20-year-old Medvedev fought hard in the second set and was level at 4-4. But Bautista Agut broke his serve in the ninth game and then claimed the contest.
Medvedev was beset by cramps in the second set of the final, following his three-set victory in the semi-finals on Saturday. He summoned his trainer for a quick-fix solution but couldn't muster the energy or fight to make a comeback.
Bautista Agut, on the other hand, was his usual calm and collected self as he became the first Spaniard to claim the Aircel Chennai Open since Carlos Moya won it in 2005. He kept the ball in play, inviting Medvedev to make the shots as well as the mistakes. He covered the court well and came up with successive forehand winners.
"I played a great match tactically," Bautista Agut said, after taking the trophy in his hands and celebrating his triumph. "I was very solid and could play aggressively whenever I wanted," he added.
"My game-plan was to keep him moving. I returned very well and that put pressure on his serve, and he started making moves," he explained.
Medvedev refused to blame his defeat on the medical time-out though.
"I felt sore in my right leg and had to call my trainer. But I didn't lose because of that. He played amazing tennis. He was very consistent and was a much better player. I didn't have a single break point," he pointed out.
Bautista Agut, however, only had good things to say about his losing opponent.
"He is a very good player. He is tall, serves well, and has strokes from the baseline. I am sure a great future lies ahead of him," he said.
--IANS
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