MEMPHIS — American Ryan Harrison wept with relief after winning his first ATP World Tour title, beating Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-, 6-4 in the final of the Memphis Open on Sunday.
After breezing through the first set, Harrison survived some nervous moments in the second, saving break points in each of his service games. But he proved unbreakable in the clutch, digging out of trouble time and again before securing the title with an ace down the middle on the indoor hardcourt in Tennessee.
“I was overwhelmed with emotion there at the end of the match,” the 24-year-old from Louisiana said in a teary on-court interview. Harrison, a former teenage prodigy who turned pro in 2007, had seen his form and ranking declined in recent years.
“I was fortunate to have a great start on the tour at a young age and after a lot of setbacks, and a few years of having my ranking drop a little bit, you get to a point where you’re not quite sure and you really don’t know if you’re ever going to achieve some of those things you always wanted to achieve, one of those being winning an ATP title,” he said.
“So for me to be where I am now, and where I was seven-or-eight months ago, and feeling like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, it’s surreal. I honestly can’t believe it.”
Harrison, who won every set he played the entire tournament without facing a tiebreak, will jump into the top 50 in the world rankings, after starting the tournament ranked 62nd.
The hard-hitting Basilashvili, meanwhile, could only lament failing to convert any of his 10 break point opportunities in the second set.
The world No. 67 was seeking to become the first player from Georgia to win an ATP World Tour title. But his prodigious power proved a double-edged sword in the final, as he made unforced errors in a baseline battle.
Dolgopolov upsets Nishikori to win Argentina Open
In Buenos Aires, unseeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov upset favorite Kei Nishikori 7-6(4), 6-4 to win the Argentina Open on Sunday and lift his first title in five years.
The 28-year-old Dolgopolov, who took one hour and 40 minutes to win the final at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, earned his first victory over the Japanese world number five at the sixth attempt.
Dolgopolov, the world No. 66, lifted his third career ATP title by going through the claycourt tournament without dropping a set. “I’d never won even a set against Kei, let alone a match. I’m really happy to have done so,” Dolgopolov told reporters. “I played really well and I’m at my best level for the last two years. I’m really glad to be back.”
The Ukrainian, whose previous crown came at Washington in 2012, the year of his career-high ranking of 13th, went toe-to-toe with Nishikori in a long first set that he clinched 7-4 in the tiebreak with his second set point.
He then broke his opponent for the first time when they were 3-3 in the second set with a winner from his potent backhand and went on to take victory with his first match point.
Top seed Nishikori was looking for a 12th title, having won his last at Memphis last year, and now moves on to the Rio Open with Dolgopolov.
The Japanese said he still had some way to go to take his ranking higher. “I’d have to improve several things (in my game)... be more consistent week in week out,” he said.
Dolgopolov ended a run of seven successive Argentina Open triumphs by Spanish champions in Buenos Aires as he succeeded last year’s winner Rafael Nadal. — Reuters
