By Alberto Amalfi | Sunday, May 2, 2021
Albert Ramos-Vinolas rallied from a set and a break down edging Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) in a thrilling two hour, 45-minute Estoril Open final.
Photo credit: @EstorilOpen
Albert Ramos-Vinolas showed tie break toughness to win his third career title.
In a clash of left-handers, Ramos-Vinolas rallied from a set and a break down edging Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3) in a thrilling two hour, 45-minute Estoril Open final.
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The 33-year-old Spaniard improved to 3-7 in ATP finals capturing his first championship since he won the 2019 Gstaad. All three of Ramos-Vinolas' titles have come on his favored red clay.
Contesting his second career final, the 50th-ranked Norrie broke twice to take the opening set and scored the first break of the second set for a 2-1 lead. Ramos-Vinolas, who took treatment for an apparent leg issue, broke back in the fourth game then ran off 12 of the final 15 points to snatch the second set and force a decider.
The Spanish left-hander broke at love for a 2-1 third-set lead, but Norrie broke right back in the fourth game.
In the tiebreaker, Norrie amped up the aggression with a deep forehand eliciting an errant reply to go up 3-1 in the tie breaker. The Briton failed to put a second-serve return in play as Ramos-Vinolas leveled at 3-3. When Norrie netted a mid-court backhand sitter, Ramos Vinolas gained three championship points.
Ramos-Vinolas drew a backhand error to seal the title beating Norrie for the third time in as many meetings.