By Chris Oddo | Sunday May 6, 2018
Joao Sousa rode the crowd--and thrilled them--with a three-set victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the final at the Estoril Open.
Photo Source: Estoril Open
Joao Sousa became the first Portuguese player to win a title on home soil by claiming a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Frances Tiafoe to win the Estoril Open title.
29-year-old Sousa entered the week without a previous victory at Estoril but claimed the title despite facing two match points against Pedro Sousa in the second round.Sousa would then defeat Kyle Edmund in three sets in the quarterfinals before defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in a third-set breaker in the semis on Saturday.
On Sunday Sousa the early break and a 2-1 lead in the opener but he needed to rally from 5-4, 0-40 to grab the set without going to a tiebreaker. He won five straight points and concluded the set with a service winner out wide that Tiafoe had no chance on.
After falling behind 4-0 and 5-1 in the second set Tiafoe found his game and rallied back to 5-4 to force Sousa to serve the match out. But this time Sousa had no difficulties. He held at love, crushing a giant forehand down-the-line winner before flopping to the clay in euphoric celebration.
The victory marks Sousa's third career title overall (in ten career finals), and first since 2015.