RIO DE JANEIRO, February 27, 2017
Dominic Thiem clinched his eighth ATP World Tour title and second at the 500 level, winning Sunday’s final of the Rio Open 7-5, 6-4 against Pablo Carreno Busta from Spain.
The second seed from Austria won 71 per cent of his second service points and capitalized on four of his eight break point chances to seal victory in one hour and 34 minutes.
It was the third title at Latin American Golden Swing events for Thiem, having previously triumphed in Buenos Aires and Acapulco in 2016.
The 23-year-old is the fourth player to lift an ATP World Tour trophy this year without dropping a set, joining last week’s winners Ryan Harrison in Memphis and Alexandr Dolgopolov in Buenos Aires, as well as Sunday’s Delray Beach Open champion Jack Sock
“I am feeling really great. This is the best feeling you can have, winning a title. It’s all you practise for. I played five very good matches, especially in the semis and final against amazing players,” Thiem was happy afterwards.
Carreno Busta was bidding for his third ATP World Tour title in his fifth final.
“Obviously, I’m very happy after a week like this. Winning the title in doubles and reaching the final in singles is great. Dominic is a fantastic player and is going to win many more titles in the coming years. I hope I can play more finals against him,” the 25-year-old Spaniard stated on Sunday.
Carreno-Busta/Cuevas Dethrone Colombian Power For First Team Title
On Saturday, Pablo Carreno Busta and Pablo Cuevas clinched their first team ATP World Tour title, edging Rio defending champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 6-4, 5-7, 10-8.
The victory for Carreno Busta came just hours after completing a stunning comeback from a set and a break down against Norwegian teenager Caspar Ruud to reach the singles final.
“I’m very happy. It’s always very special to win a title even if it’s a doubles one. It’s very important,” Carreno-Busta told.
Cuevas, the 2016 singles titlist in Rio de Janeiro, won his sixth tour-level doubles crown and first in two years, while Carreno Busta notched his third doubles title with a third different partner.
“We started very well. In the second set we were a break up, but they started playing better and the Match Tie-break was very close. But in the end we were able to turn it around and win the title,” Cuevas stated.
