GSTAAD, Switzerland (AP) — On a perfect Sunday for Argentine tennis player Pedro Cachin, he won his first tour-level title at age 28 then shared courtside hugs with his girlfriend and smoochy kisses with their pet dog.
Cachin’s tears flowed quickly after his first final ended with a 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 win over Spanish veteran Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the Swiss Open.
Then the hugs and kisses — and exuberant licks from Tango the French bulldog — started in the player’s box courtside with family who drove from Spain to join Cachin after his semifinals win Saturday.
“Thank you (to) my girlfriend, sister and my dog, of course,” Cachin said in his trophy acceptance speech referring to Tango, named for the signature dance of his native Argentina. “They are coming from Barcelona yesterday (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 laying 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 he 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 saw his record in tour finals drop to 4-8. All of the 79th-ranked Spaniard’s titles were won on clay including at Gstaad in 2019.
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