Richard Gasquet defeated World No. 9 Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5) in two hours and 38 minutes in the final of the Nice Open in France for his first title since 2007.
"It was an incredible match," admitted Gasquet. "I didn't see myself coming back when I was in the third set. I saw myself really far from victory. I was a little tense while serving, which also happened to me in the second set.
"I couldn't have been more tired at the end and I really gave everything to the match. It is a title, my sixth, and it has been a long time since I won my last ATP World Tour title. I'll remember the match for the rest of my life, that's for sure. It was hard and it's a great victory against a great player."
Verdasco, who served for the match at 5-3, said:
"I was close to losing and then I was so close to winning. I was 4-1 up and a few break points to be 5-1 [in the third set], but then he started hitting winners everywhere. Every break point was a good serve or a crazy forehand, every time a winner.
"I was not able to play in those circumstances. He got lucky in the 4-1 game and grew in confidence to break me and to come back. He started to play and run for everything again."
A former top-10 player, the 68th-ranked Gasquet was looking to get back to his best form after he was suspended last year for testing positive for cocaine.
Gasquet reached the Medibank International Sydney final (l. to Baghdatis) earlier this year and he captured his first ATP Challenger Tour title in over five years at Bordeaux (d. Llodra) last week .
"After Bordeaux, I didn’t think about winning here," said Gasquet. "So I am very happy to have won and to have added a sixth title. Mostly, because it was a match of enormous intensity and being able to comeback was special."
Verdasco, was attempting to join compatriot Rafael Nadal as a three-time ATP World Tour titlist this year. He won the SAP Open and Barcelona Open BancSabadell titles this year.
“It is always easier to play when people are supporting you," said Verdasco. "Of course, I think it helped him a lot. He was close to winning at 5-4 in the second set, but if he wasn’t playing in France, then it would have been difficult in the third set.
"I am happy because I played a final, but I am unhappy that I came so close to winning and couldn't do so."
In the doubles final, Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares defeated Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 1-6, 6-3, 10-5 in 73 minutes to win their ATP World Tour doubles title.
“I'm really happy, because we have been friends for a long time and are from the same tennis club," said Soares. "It really is special for us."
Said Melo, "It was our second final this year, so we are really excited to have won. For sure we'll celebrate this first title and I hope it will be one of many.
"We played really well and came from Davis Cup in good form. It was a good week for us. We’ll head to Paris tomorrow and I hope we’ll put in a good performance at Roland Garros."
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