Seventh seed Albert Montanes became the first Spaniard since former ATP World Tour No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2001 titlist, to capture the Estoril Open title.
The 28-year-old Montanes saved two championship points at 4-5 in the second set and fought back to beat fourth-seeded American James Blake 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-0 in two hours and 14 minutes on Sunday.
Montanes also saved one match point against top-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon in a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4) quarter-final victory at the Estadio Nacional on Friday.
Montanes is the first player to save at least one match point in two different matches en route to the title since Wesley Moodie in Tokyo in October 2005. Moodie saved four match points in the semi-finals (vs. Nieminen) and two in the final (vs. Ancic).
The World No. 35 improved to 14-13 on the 2009 ATP World Tour season on his fifth visit to the ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tennis tournament. Montanes had never before advanced past the second round in his four previous visits (2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007).
Montanes improved to 2-4 lifetime in ATP World Tour finals having won his maiden trophy at Amersfoort (d. Darcis) in July 2008.
The 28-year-old Montanes saved two championship points at 4-5 in the second set and fought back to beat fourth-seeded American James Blake 5-7, 7-6(6), 6-0 in two hours and 14 minutes on Sunday.
Montanes also saved one match point against top-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon in a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(4) quarter-final victory at the Estadio Nacional on Friday.
Montanes is the first player to save at least one match point in two different matches en route to the title since Wesley Moodie in Tokyo in October 2005. Moodie saved four match points in the semi-finals (vs. Nieminen) and two in the final (vs. Ancic).
The World No. 35 improved to 14-13 on the 2009 ATP World Tour season on his fifth visit to the ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tennis tournament. Montanes had never before advanced past the second round in his four previous visits (2001, 2002, 2005 and 2007).
Montanes improved to 2-4 lifetime in ATP World Tour finals having won his maiden trophy at Amersfoort (d. Darcis) in July 2008.
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