Australia’s Alexei Popyrin stormed back from a set down to beat Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 4-6, 6-0, 6-2 and clinch his first ATP Tour title at the Singapore Open on Sunday.
Popyrin fired 11 aces and broke serve five times to hand fourth seed Bublik who is still searching for his first title a fourth defeat in a final.
“We put in a lot of hard work in the pre-season and it’s paying off,” Popyrin said in an on-court interview.
“Also my family behind the scenes … they’ve sacrificed so much for me and to finally win a tournament just shows how much hard work they put in with me also and this is for them, this is for them 100 per cent.”
The 21-year-old, who upset Marin Cilic in the last-four, made a slow start and dropped the opening set but produced an instant response, breaking Bublik’s serve three times in the second to hand out a rare bagel.
The former junior French Open champion did not let up in the third, surging to a 4-2 lead before closing out the victory when Bublik double faulted.
He became the second player to win a maiden title this year after Briton Dan Evans triumphed at the Murray River Open.