Tomic wins first title in 3 years

Beijing, September 30 

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Australian Bernard Tomic won his first ATP World Tour title in more than three years on Sunday, beating Italian Fabio Fognini 6-1 3-6 7-6(7) in the final of the Chengdu Open. Tomic had to battle hard against the top seed, saving four match points in a tense final set before wrapping up the match in two hours and 15 minutes. 

The Australian sent down 12 aces and won 70 percent of his first serves to claim his first title since his victory in Bogota in 2015. The last few years have been hard on Tomic, who slipped out the world’s top-20 after a significant slump in form.

The Australian has faced criticism from back home for a perceived lack of effort out on court and questions abound over his temperament. This year, Tomic has managed to mostly stay away from the sort of unwanted headlines that have dogged him in the past, and has climbed to 123 from 243 in the world rankings since May. — AFP