By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, April 11, 2021
In the first all-Spanish ATP final in three years, Pablo Carreno Busta outlasted Jaume Munar in three sets for his fifth title and 200th career win.
Photo credit: AnyTech365 Andalucía Open Facebook
There's no place like home.
In the first all-Spanish ATP final in three years, Pablo Carreno Busta outlasted Jaume Munar 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 to claim his first title on home soil at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open in Marbella.
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The 15th-ranked Spaniard slammed an ace to seal his fifth career ATP title in style.
The top-seeded Carreno Busta created happy homecoming collecting his fifth title and 200th career win.
Carreno Busta streaked through the final five games of the opening set to snatch a one-set lead.
Contesting his maiden ATP final, Munar showed his clay-court class elevating his intensity and the depth of his drives breaking twice in a row to seal the second set on a four-game run.
The deciding set turned in the critical ninth game as Munar saved six break points before Carreno Busta finally banged a backhand return down the line converting the crucial break for 5-4. Carreno Busta served out a physical final in two hours, 20 minutes.
"I suffered like yesterday trying to continue fighting all the time... I needed to do it if I wanted to win this kind of match," Carreno Busta said. "It's a pleasure to win a title here in Spain, in Marbella.
"For me, it's very special. It's my fifth title, so I'm very, very happy for the victory."
The two-time US Open semifinalist won his first clay-court title since the 2017 Estoril when he scored straight-sets wins over Tommy Robredo, Nicolas Almagro, David Ferrer and Gilles Muller to take the title.