Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has beaten another Top 10 player to win the ATP Washington Open title. He hammered 18 aces without a double fault and shook off back pain Sunday to beat Russia’s 10th-ranked Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4).
The 24-year-old Aussie, who struggled with back pain throughout the opening set, claimed the $365,390 top prize and his sixth career ATP crown at the US Open tuneup event.
Kyrgios, 5-1 this year against top-10 rivals, won his second title after the year after Acapulco in March and will jump from 52nd to 27th in Monday’s new rankings, his first appearance in the top 30 in 43 weeks.
“This has been one of the greatest weeks of my life,” Kyrgios said. “I’ve made massive strides.
“This is a tournament I’m definitely going to play for the rest of my life.”
In a match that featured no break points or deuces, Kyrgios won after 94 minutes with back-to-back aces, the last his tournament-best 110th of the week.
Medvedev, 23, was broken only twice in the week but lost his only sets of the week to Kyrgios, costing him a possible fifth ATP title. He will match his career-best ranking of ninth on Monday.
“I know how well Nick can play when he wants to play,” Medvedev said. “This week, I think he wanted to play and it was tough.”
American Jessica Pegula captured her first WTA singles title by ripping Italy’s Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-2 in the WTA final.
The 25-year-old daughter of NFL Buffalo Bills owner and natural gas magnate Terry Pegula took a $43,000 top prize.
