Pedro Cachin Outlasts Albert Ramos-Vinolas to Claim First-Ever ATP Tour Title at Swiss Open

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Cachin is celebrating his first ATP Tour title.

The 28-year-old Argentine professional tennis player came from behind to beat Spanish veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 to win the Swiss Open, his first tour-level title.

Cachin celebrated his big win with courtside hugs with his girlfriend and kisses with their pet dog.

“Thank you [to] my girlfriend, sister and my dog, of course,” Cachin said in his trophy acceptance speech. “They are coming from Barcelona [Saturday] night, so it was a long drive but it was an unbelievable drive.”

After having his service broken to lose the first set, Cachin reeled off eight straight games during which the 35-year-old Ramos-Vinolas sought treatment for his bandaged left foot.

Cachin let slip a 4-3 lead with a service break up in the deciding set but broke again to lead 6-5 because of wayward forehands from Ramos-Vinolas.

The 90th-ranked Argentine clinched the title at sun-bathed Gstaad in the Swiss Alps with a double-handed backhand for a cross-court winner.

Cachin celebrated by falling to the ground and lying on his back as the first tears flowed. He rose with red dust caked on his white T-shirt.

The victory will lift Cachin toward a career-best ranking of No. 54, which he also reached last year. His career was slowed by neck and ankle injuries, and he entered the top 100 for the first time one year ago.

A clay-court specialist, Cachin has six career titles on the second-tier Challenger tour, and his debut win at ATP level also was secured on his favored surface.

Cachin’s previous match before coming to Gstaad was on the grass of Wimbledon‘s Centre Court, where Novak Djokovic beat him in straight sets in the first round.

Ramos-Vinolas broke Cachin’s serve twice in the first set that the left-hander clinched with a strong service return to his opponent’s feet advancing to the net.

Ramos-Vinolas’ record in tour finals dropped to 4-8. All of the 79th-ranked Spaniard’s titles were won on clay, including at Gstaad in 2019.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas Defeats Cedrik-Marcel Stebe to Win His Second Career ATP Title at the Swiss Open

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

It’s title No. 2 for Albert Ramos-Vinolas…

The 31-year-old Spanish tennis professional handily defeated Germany’s Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday to win his second career ATP Tour title 6-3, 6-2 at the Swiss Open Gstaad.

Ramos-Vinolastracked down everything and was more than happy to stay in rallies with Stebe, who was playing in his first ATP Tour final after winning two matches on Saturday because of earlier rain delay.

“I feel great. After a long time waiting for this moment again, I’m really happy. I think I did a great match today, also a great tournament. So I think my game was perfect… and I will never forget Gstaad,” said Ramos-Vinolas, who won his first ATP Tour title at Bastadin 2016.

The two had to wait about four and a half hours to take the court for the final because of rain, and Stebe broke to start. The German, No. 455 in the ATP rankings, was looking to become the second lowest-ranked tour-level titlist.

But Ramos-Vinolas quickly settled down, breaking twice in the opener, including for 4-2 when Stebe sailed a forehand wide to finish an 11-point game.

The Spaniard broke twice more in the second set, including in the opening game when he tracked down a drop shot and delivered a backhand winner on the slide.

Ramos-Vinolas didn’t drop a set all tournament.

“The conditions were tough today. Albert was rock solid as he was all week. He deserves to win,” Stebe said. “It was an amazing week for me here in Gstaad, I played very good tennis. Of course, it wasn’t easy to play two matches yesterday. I gave everything today, but it wasn’t enough. That’s tennis.”

Ramos-Vinolas, who reached a career-high ATP ranking of No. 17 in May 2017, improved to 2-6 in ATP Tour finals and will receive 250 ATP rankings points and €90,390 in prize money.

Albert Ramos-Vinolas Reaches Swiss Open Final

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Albert Ramos-Vinolasis one win away from his first title of the season…

The 31-year-old Spanish tennis player has reached his first ATP Tour final of the season at the Swiss Open Gstaad on Saturday with a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory against 2014 champion Pablo Andujar.

“I’m really happy,” Ramos-Vinolas said. “I have a chance to play another final tomorrow here in Gstaad. I love this tournament, I feel great. I’m really happy and I’m ready to give my 200 percent.”

Ramos-Vinolas has won all eight of his sets this week, defeating three of the ATP 250tournament’s seeds.

Entering the semifinals, Ramos-Vinolas had only emerged victorious in one of seven previous head to head meetings against Andujar, but Ramos-Vinolas claimed 43 percent of his first-serve return points en route to victory in one hour and 54 minutes.

Ramos-Vinolasis into his first tour-level final since Quito last year. Ramos-Vinolas has made six championship matches, with his lone ATP Tourtitle coming at Båstad in 2016.

The former World No. 17 was broken first in the match, giving Andujar a 5-3 lead after Ramos-Vinolas couldn’t stave off a sixth break point of the game. But he broke back immediately, and stormed to a 4/0 lead in the first-set tie-break, never looking back from there.

There was a rain delay with two points remaining in the match, but Ramos-Vinolas won two points upon the resumption to go through.

“It’s never easy, but I felt good,” Ramos-Vinolas said. “I won a little bit of a lucky point the last point before we stopped… it was difficult for me, but I thought it was more difficult for him.”

López Defeats Robin Haase to Claim Swiss Open Title

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Feliciano López is a Swiss champion…

The 34-year-old Spanish tennis player beat Robin Haase 6-4, 7-5 in the Swiss Open final on Sunday to claim his first career clay-court title.

It’s the fifth career ATP World Tour title for Lopez, the tournament’s top seed, and his first in more than two years. He previously won two titles on grass and two on hard courts.

Ten years after losing the Gstaad final to Richard Gasquet of France, Lopez lifted the trophy on his seventh trip to the Swiss Alps venue.

Lopez arrived ranked No. 21 in the world and should return to the top 20 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

The 95th-ranked Haase had his service broken once in the first set and twice in the second as Lopez completed the victory in less than 80 minutes.

Andújar Defeats Juan Monaco to Win First Title in More Than Two Years

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

The title drought is over for Pablo Andújar…

The 28-year-old Spanish tenista beat Argentina’s Juan Monaco 6-3, 7-5 in the Swiss Open final on Sunday to claim his first ATP title in more than two years.

It was the 71st-ranked player’s third career title, all on clay courts. He also won at Casablanca, Morocco, in 2011 and 2012.

Andújar got the only break in the first set to take a 5-3 lead and then held serve to close out the set.

Monaco, ranked No. 105 two years after being in the top 10, jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second and served for the set up 5-3.

But Andújar reeled off four straight games, clinching the match by holding serve at love.

Andújar Defeats Fernando Verdasco to Reach the Swiss Open Final

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Andújar could soon have a third ATP title…

The 28-year-old Spanish tennis player has advanced to the Swiss Open men’s final.

Andújar, unseeded in the tournament and ranked No. 71, beat fourth-seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-1 in an all-Spain semifinal at the clay-court Roy Emerson Arena.

Andújar wasted a winning chance in the second set when, two points from victory at 5-3, he sent down back-to-back double faults.

However, he dominated the decider with three service breaks.

He’ll face Argentina’s Juan Monaco in Sunday’s final.

Monaco rallied from losing the first three games to win 6-3, 7-6 (4) against seventh-seeded Robin Haase of the Netherlands.

Monaco, now 105th-ranked two years after peaking at No. 10, will seek his ninth career title Sunday.

Bellucci Earns Third Career Title at the Swiss Open…

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Thomaz Bellucci is proving that he’s no underdog…

The 24-year-old Brazilian tennis player upset top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic in the Swiss Open final on Sunday.

Unseeded in the tournament, Bellucci came back after dropping the first set in a heartbreaking tiebreak to win 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-2.

Bellucci was leading 6-1 in the first-set tiebreaker, before Tipsarevic reeled off seven points for the set. At 5-4 in the second, Bellucci broke the eighth-ranked Serbian’s serve to love to even the match.

In the final set, Tipsarevic saved two match points but double-faulted to present a third, which Bellucci won.

The victory earned Bellucci, currently ranked No. 60 in the world, his third career title and second at Gstaad. He won the clay-court event as a qualifier in 2009.

Meanwhile, Tipsarevic was denied a second straight title after winning on clay last week at Stuttgart, Germany, where he beat Bellucci in the semifinals.

Bellucci and Tipsarevic will compete in the London Olympics at Wimbledon.

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