Marathon man Jordan Thompson has clinched his first ATP Tour title, with the Australian upsetting Norwegian Casper Ruud to lift the trophy in Los Cabos, Mexico.
After 11 years on tour, the 29-year-old overcame 12th-ranked Ruud in straight sets 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
Thompson entered the event ranked a career-high 40 and has now topped that, reaching number 32 after winning the decider.
Thompson looked in charge early against Ruud, with his mixed bag of shots putting his rival on the back foot.
He had particular success at the net, using his deft touch to win 18 of 22 points.
But the second-ranked Australian again made life difficult for himself in the second set.
He led 5-3 and then wobbled when serving for the match up 5-4, with former world number 2 Ruud levelling at 5-5.
Thompson was able to refocus amidst a noisy local crowd bidding for Ruud to push the match into a third set, and wrapped up the title in the tiebreak with a charging forehand winner.
“I spent so many hours on the court this week. In the quarter-final I could have been double bagelled, I could have been losing 6-0, 6-0 and now I’m about to lift the trophy, so I think it’s still a miracle,” Thompson said post-match.
“It’s been a journey. I’m nearly 30 and I’m lifting a trophy; I never thought I would do that.
“My favourite place now, without a doubt,” he said of Los Cabos.
The Sydneysider was playing his third tour-level final after a gutsy three-set victory over top seed and world number six Alexander Zverev in a semifinal lasting three hours 42 minutes.
He spent more than 12 hours on court through his five matches in the Mexico tournament, in the quarterfinal clawing his way back from 0-6 0-3 and saving three match points to oust American Alex Michelson 0-6 7-6 (7-1) 7-5.
Thompson’s previous tour-level finals came in the Netherlands in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, in 2019 and 2023.
He’d had a blazing start to the year, beating Rafael Nadal to reach the Brisbane semifinals and reaching consecutive quarterfinals in Dallas and Delray Beach prior to his Los Cabos run.
AAP
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