Buenos Aires [Argentina], February 19 : The 23-year-old wild card Facundo Diaz Acosta produced a masterclass performance to defeat third seed Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Argentina Open to capture his first ATP Tour title.
The Argentine entered the week with only four tour-level victories. He won five matches this week and did not lose a single set on his way to the ATP 250 title. Diaz Acosta and Rafael Nadal are the only left-handed champions in event history.
"I still can't believe it. I have been dreaming about this moment for a long time with my team, working hard to achieve it every day," Diaz Acosta said as quoted by ATP.
"I am very happy to be able to lift this trophy. I think I played a great match, as I did all week, but I still can't figure out how I won the tournament without losing sets," the Argentine added.
The local favourite entered the week ranked No. 87 in the ATP Rankings, his career best. With his remarkable performance in Argentina, he will move up to World No. 59 on Monday.
Jarry entered the final on a high note, having defeated World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals on Saturday. It was the most significant triumph of the great Chilean's career.
However, the 28-year-old struggled to maintain his form in the final.
Argentine fans supported the home favourite at Guillermo Vilas, pushing Diaz Acosta to dig deep in the biggest match of his career. Jarry played his best tennis in the second part of the second set, limiting his mistakes. Diaz Acosta, on the other hand, used the court like a chessboard, allowing the Chilean to dominate rallies while waiting for the ideal opportunity to counterpunch and hit crucial winners.
In the second set, the Argentine struggled to serve at 4-3. He faced his first break points since the first game of the match, but Jarry's backhand faltered in crucial circumstances.
Diaz Acosta was forced to labour when he ran for the crown. In the last game, he survived another break opportunity and ultimately converted his sixth championship point, dropping his racquet and smiling broadly at his team in surprise.
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