Fucsovics holds off van de Zandschulp for ATP Winston-Salem crown / Photo: GRANT HALVERSON - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Fucsovics holds off van de Zandschulp for ATP Winston-Salem crown
Hungary's Marton Fucsovics steadied after a late lapse to capture his third ATP title on Saturday, holding off Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) in the final of the hardcourt tournament in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
In the final tune-up for the US Open, which starts on Sunday in New York, 33-year-old Fucsovics called on all of his experience after squandering a match point with a double fault at 5-2 in the second set.
Van de Zandschulp, seeking his first ATP title, forced the tiebreaker, but Fucsovics took advantage of his Dutch foe's errors in the decider to pull off the victory.
"I'm speechless, really," said Fucsovics, who hoisted the trophy in Bucharest last year, six years after his first career triumph in Geneva.
"I had a long career, a couple of trophies," he said. "I'm 33 and a half years old. So, I belong to the older generation, but I'm still here, winning an ATP 250.
"So I will keep on fighting," Fucsovics said. "I'm enjoying tennis right now. I'm going to play as long as I can."
The next challenge is the US Open, where Fucsovics is slated to face Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the first round.
Van de Zandschulp, who stunned Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz in the second round at Flushing Meadows last year, is due to launch his campaign at the final Grand Slam of the year against 11th-seeded Holger Rune.
S.Smith--EWJ
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