The Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open was full of upsets, with just two seeded players advancing to the quarter-finals, where top-seeded Adrian Mannarino was ousted. But one tournament favourite never faltered on the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Third seed Steve Johnson did not lose more than three games in a set en route to the final, where he defeated first-time ATP World Tour finalist Ramkumar Ramanathan 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 on Sunday to claim his fourth tour-level trophy.

It is the first time that the 28-year-old has won multiple titles in one campaign, after retaining his trophy in Houston earlier this year. Johnson had never moved past the quarter-finals in three previous main draw appearances in Newport. But he won 83 per cent of first-serve points against the World No. 161 to triumph on grass for the second time.

Johnson, who is one of just two players on the ATP World Tour this season (also Roger Federer) to win titles on multiple surfaces, will climb 14 spots to No. 34 in the ATP Rankings thanks to the 250 points he adds to his tally. He will also take home $99,375 in prize money.

Ramanathan was attempting to become the first Indian ATP World Tour titlist since Leander Paes was victorious at the International Tennis Hall of Fame 20 years ago. He earns 150 points for the best result of his career, as well as $52,340.

Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos captured their fifth team title on Sunday, defeating Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4 to win the SkiStar Swedish Open.

Peralta and Zeballos lifted their first title since the 2017 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship to deny Fognini a clean sweep on Sweden’s west coast. Earlier in the day, Fognini defeated Richard Gasquet to lift his seventh tour-level singles trophy.

The Chilean-Argentine tandem was dominant on second-serve returns, winning 73 per cent of points in the category to emerge victorious after 71 minutes. Peralta and Zeballos improve to 45-25 as a team at tour-level and 2-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series against their Italian opponents.

Zeballos has now won nine tour-level doubles titles, while each of Peralta’s five title runs have come alongside his current partner.

Bolelli and Fognini were bidding to win their first tour-level title together since the 2015 Australian Open. The Italians drop to 3-5 in tour-level championship matches.

Peralta and Zeballos receive 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points and split €27,170 in prize money for lifting the trophy. Bolelli and Fognini gain 150 points and share €14,280.

Did You Know?
Since 1982, only 11 editions of the SkiStar Swedish Open doubles event have not featured a Swedish champion. The last home titlist was Johan Brunstrom, alongside Nicholas Monroe, in 2014.

Fabio Fognini captured his second tour-level trophy of the season on Sunday, beating Richard Gasquet 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 at the SkiStar Swedish Open.

The third-seeded Italian, who lifted the Brasil Open title in February, converted five of 11 break-point chances en route to the victory. Fognini has now won seven tour-level crowns, with each of his triumphs coming at outdoor clay-court events.

The World No. 15 improves to 7-9 in tour-level finals after securing his 31st victory in 45 matches at tour-level in 2018. Gasquet was also bidding to clinch his second ATP World Tour title of the season after winning his 15th tour-level trophy at the Libema Open in June.

“[Fabio] is a very good player. He played well and he deserved this win,” said Gasquet. “It was my first time in Båstad… I am very happy to be here, finally. It is one of the best tournaments… for sure I will come back next year and try to win.”

As a result of the one-hour, 47-minute win, Fognini levels his FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Gasquet at 2-2. The 31-year-old has won both of their encounters on clay, while Gasquet has emerged victorious in their two hard-court clashes.

Gasquet made the first move on a bright day on Sweden’s west coast, capitalising on a series of groundstroke errors to clinch the first break of the match. But Fognini soon found his rhythm, hitting with great depth and approaching the net at times to flip the set on its head. The Italian reeled off five consecutive games to lead 5-2, before closing out the set, after 32 minutes, with a love service hold.

Three consecutive double faults from Fognini gifted Gasquet an early lead in the second set and, despite surrendering the break in the following game, the Frenchman soon re-established his advantage with strong defensive skills from the backhand corner.

Consistent backhand aggression earned Fognini an immediate break of serve in the deciding set and with increased confidence in his service games, the Italian soon moved towards victory. After wearing his opponent down, in an extended rally, to earn a second break, Fognini converted his fourth championship point as Gasquet fired an aggressive forehand beyond the baseline.

Later in the day, Fognini will aim to add a second Båstad title to his trophy cabinet. The Italian, alongside countryman Simone Bolelli, will contest the doubles final against Julio Peralta and Horacio Zeballos. Fognini and Bolelli have won three doubles titles from seven tour-level finals as a team, including the 2015 Australian Open.

“For sure, I am going to be tired. I have another final to play. I need to take a shower, eat a little bit and try to be ready,” said Fognini.

Fognini receives 250 ATP Ranking points and collects €89,435 in prize money for lifting the trophy. Gasquet gains 150 points and receives €47,105.

Did You Know?
With 31 tour-level match wins already this season, Fabio Fognini is just five victories short of equalling his 2017 match-win total. The Italian ended his 2017 campaign with 36-23 tour-level record.

Jonathan Erlich and Artem Sitak were an unstoppable force on Saturday, taking the doubles title at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open in just 53 minutes.

The Israeli-Kiwi duo prevailed 6-1, 6-2 over fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela to complete a ruthless campaign on the grass of Newport. They dropped just one set all week, including victory over Lleyton Hewitt and Jordan Thompson, before defeating a trio of seeded opponents. 

Competing together for just the second time, Erlich and Sitak notched their first team title. They previously teamed up at the 2015 US Open, falling in the first round. But this time, 41-year-old Erlich and 32-year-old Sitak found their rhythm from the first ball. The Israeli scored his 20th tour-level title and first on grass since 2011, while the Kiwi celebrated his fourth crown.

“We just played each other at Wimbledon (Sitak/Sharan d. Erlich/Matkowski in five sets) and I thought he played really well there,” said Sitak. “I knew we could go all the way this week. We just focused point after point. It’s great to have his experience and he played all the big points just like the big boss he is. He made everything and I’m really happy the way we played today.”

Erlich’s 20th title carries added significance, considering his first also came in Newport. He teamed up with countryman Harel Levy for the 2000 crown in his ATP World Tour debut.

“I can’t believe it was 18 years ago,” said Erlich. “I’m proud of myself that I’m still going and I played great this week. I have great chemistry with Artem and great energy together. I’m glad we connected quickly here and from the first match we played solid together. We helped each other to play the best. That’s why I have a young guy like him.”

The champions split $30,190 in prize money and earn 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points, while runners-up Arevalo and Reyes-Varela take home $15,870 and 150 points. It was the first ATP World Tour doubles final for both players.

Did You Know?
Erlich’s 20 titles have come with six different partners. He has one each with Sitak, Levy, Novak Djokovic, Colin Fleming and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, with the majority of his success coming with compatriot Andy Ram (15 titles together).

Ramkumar Ramanathan made national history on Saturday, becoming the first Indian to reach an ATP World Tour final since Somdev Devvarman at Johannesburg in 2011 when he defeated American Tim Smyczek to advance to the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open championship match. Ramanathan can become the first Indian titlist at tour-level since Leander Paes in Newport 20 years ago.

Ramanathan spoke to ATPWorldTour.com about various ‘firsts’ throughout his career, from his first prize money splurge to the first autograph he ever asked for.

First pinch-me moment on the ATP World Tour
When I beat Somdev [Devvarman] in 2014 in Chennai. I qualified and there was like a one per cent chance I would play him and I played him and beat him 6-4 in the third set. I didn’t imagine that I was going to beat him that day, but I was just focused on giving my best. I was really nervous and that’s where it all started. I was really happy and from that day on, it’s been going upward, so I’m happy for that.

First coach and most important lesson she taught me
My first coach was Thyagarajan Chandrasekaran. He’s from Chennai. I used to play at an academy there for a few years. He really focused on my forehand, I remember. We used to go at 2 o’clock and he’d feed balls to me. That’s where it all started and he always kept saying, ‘You have the game, just keep believing’.

First time I was recognised
In Chennai sometimes. Once I won that match against Somdev, I slowly started getting recognised and also when I beat Dominic Thiem, so it was good to have that win, too.

First time I travelled abroad
When I was 11, to Nick Bollettieri’s academy. I was sent by our federation on that trip, it was sponsored. It was a good trip for 140 days and we all had some fun with Mr. Nick Bollettieri. I still remember he gave a lesson for the group. It was great exposure for us and for me, it was unbelievable, because it’s not easy to train at any academy, so it was a good feeling.

First concert I visited
I went to a couple in Barcelona, but the first was Enrique Iglesias.

First prize money purchase
When I broke the Top 150 [in the ATP Rankings], I told myself I was going to get the Beats headphones. I always liked those.

First autograph I asked for
Mahesh Bhupathi when I was really, really young, when I was seven or eight. I still have that photo. When I made the quarter-finals of the Chennai Open in 2016, they actually put that photo on the big screen of me getting something signed by Mahesh. I still have it on my phone.

First time I flew first class
Not yet.

First pet
A dog.

Ramkumar Ramanathan is one win from ATP World Tour glory.

The 23-year-old from India continued his stunning run at the Dell Technologies Hall of Fame Open, blasting into the final with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Tim Smyczek on Saturday. Ramanathan has dropped just one set all week on the grass of Newport, reaching his first title match in impressive fashion.

At No. 161 in the ATP Rankings, not only is the Chennai native the third-lowest ranked player to reach a tour-level final this year, but also the first player from his country to do so in seven years on the singles circuit. The last Indian to advance to a championship match on the ATP World Tour was Somdev Devvarman in Johannesburg in 2011 (l. to Anderson).

“I was serving well and I just hung in there,” said Ramanathan. “I didn’t have the greatest first set on return, but I found a groove. He’s a really tricky opponent, especially on these courts. I’m pretty happy to get through.”

Ramanathan will face home hope Steve Johnson in Sunday’s final, as he looks to etch his place in the history books. Victory would see him become the first player from India to lift a singles trophy since mentor and idol Leander Paes exactly 20 years ago in Newport in 1998. 

Ramanathan, who is projected to rise at least 40 spots in the ATP Rankings, would make his Top 100 debut in the ATP Rankings with a title.

2018 ATP World Tour Finalists Outside The Top 100

India’s newest star will face a tall order on Sunday against Johnson, as he seeks his second Top 50 win. Johnson has breezed through the draw in Newport, not dropping more than three games in a set all week. 

Routine victories over Christian Harrison, Dudi Sela and Marcel Granollers put the American into his fifth ATP World Tour final and second on grass. On Saturday, he defeated Granollers 6-3, 6-3 in just 70 minutes to secure his spot in the title match. He was dominant on serve throughout the encounter, relinquishing just seven of 44 service points.

“I just tried to take what the court gave me,” said Johnson. “I actually had a chance to be even more aggressive in the second set with those break points, but I’m really happy with how I served and I managed to get a second break to close out the match. Hopefully I get more of the same tomorrow. Especially out here, you never know what’s going to happen one point to the next. I’m very happy to run down a few balls and hit some good passing shots.

“This is going to be my fifth final, so I feel more comfortable with each one. You have to take it like any other match. I’ll try to take some chances on his serve.”

Johnson, who successfully defended his title on the clay of Houston earlier this year, previously lifted a grass-court trophy in Nottingham in 2016. He is bidding to become just the second player to reign on multiple surfaces thus far in 2018, joining only Roger Federer. Federer has won on the hard courts of the Australian Open and in Rotterdam and on grass in Stuttgart.

Did You Know?
Ramanathan will be just the second player from India that Johnson has faced in his career. The first came in his ATP World Tour debut match in Los Angeles in 2010, falling to Somdev Devvarman.

Robin Haase saw his quest for a sixth ATP World Tour singles final come to a close on Saturday in Umag. But, three hours later, the 31-year-old would not falter in his bid for the doubles title.

Teaming with countryman Matwe Middelkoop, the Dutch duo streaked to the crown at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. They completed a perfect run to the title, not dropping a set all week to secure their third victory as a team this year.

“Obviously when you win a tournament, the feelings are always the best,” said Middelkoop. “It’s my first time here and I’ve heard stories that it’s really nice. I think that it’s overwhelming. Really nice hotel, many people coming. I couldn’t believe that it was packed on a Monday and Tuesday. Also, the area feels like a vacation, but professional at the same time. It’s the best of both worlds and a pleasure to come here. I’ll be back.”

Haase and Middelkoop ousted Czech tandem Jiri Vesely and Roman Jebavy 6-4, 6-4 in just 62 minutes. The second seeds are undefeated in ATP World Tour doubles finals in 2018, having also triumphed on the outdoor hard courts of Pune in January and indoor hard courts of Sofia a month later.

Haase, who fell in three sets to Guido Pella earlier in the day in the singles semi-finals, added a fifth individual doubles title. Middelkoop, meanwhile, is now a seven-time titlist.

“It was a great week, but I’m disappointed in today’s singles,” Haase added. “I played too passive. In the third set, it’s about who gets the first initiative. He did that and it’s the way it is. In the doubles, I wasn’t mentally ready to compete, but Matwe had the positive energy and we got into the match. It was a deserved victory. I’ve been sick all week, which was tiring for me, but it’s the way it is.”

The Dutchmen, who also defeated Jebavy and Vesely en route to the Pune title, split €27,170 in prize money and 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points. Moreover, they move into the Top 20 in the ATP Doubles Race To London.

Did You Know?
Middelkoop has competed in six ATP World Tour doubles finals with four different partners this year. He also finished runner-up with Andres Molteni in Budapest, with Roman Jebavy in Lyon and with Sander Arends in Antalya.

Perhaps Michael Stich’s crowning achievement in tennis came in 1991 at Wimbledon. The German faced top-seeded Stefan Edberg in the semi-finals and did not break serve, but pulled through to reach his first Grand Slam final. There, he would defeat compatriot Boris Becker, the second seed, to triumph at The Championships.

That evening at the traditional champions’ dinner, the son of 1924 and 1926 Wimbledon titlist Jean Borotra asked Stich if he could introduce him to his father.

“Jean Borotra got up and looked at me and said, ‘Who are you’?”

Twenty-seven years later, Stich can say he is an inductee in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“I was not mad at him. It was okay,” Stich told the crowd in Newport, Rhode Island on Saturday. “But it’s just those special moments, occasions that I remember more than match results or scores I have achieved… It’s not so much about obviously the special result or a special score that I’ve achieved, it’s about the overall view on this sport.”

Mark Lewis, Stich’s coach of six years, introduced his charge on a perfectly sunny day. And while he didn’t discuss that particular moment, he vividly remembered what the German said earlier in the day, right before taking to Centre Court at SW19 for his championship match against Becker.

“He had this steely look in his eyes, and he said, ‘There’s no way I’m going to lose this match’,” Lewis said. “Of course, he didn’t. Michael is a man true to his word.”

But for a moment, after Lewis called Stich to the stage on Bill Talbert Stadium Court, the German was at a loss for words, appearing to hold back tears as he stood over the lectern.

“I was asked to hand in the paper with the written speech, everybody was getting nervous. I said, ‘I don’t have a paper’,” Stich later said. “That’s just what happens, I’ll improvise, best time I had on court as well. I wanted to suck in all the atmosphere and the experience I have coming here. It’s been a lot.”

Stich is simply a man who loves tennis. He retired following a five-set loss in the 1997 Wimbledon semi-finals, and would not touch a racquet for five years after that in order to see what else the world had to offer. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t miss the game.

“The thing I missed most were the players, the guys that I used to travel around with the whole year,” Stich said. “There are ones I didn’t like obviously as well. But I missed those guys. I missed having them around, being part of that group of players that make that sport so great. That’s why I’m so thankful to be inducted this year and having the opportunity to be part of this again in a different way, but in a very special way, also with all the different generations that are part of the Hall of Fame.”

Stich competed against some of the best players in the history of the sport. Notably, he held a 5-4 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead against 64-time tour-level titlist Pete Sampras, and a 7-5 advantage against former World No. 1 Jim Courier, who sat just feet behind the German as he spoke on Saturday afternoon.

How was he able to find such success? As Stich said, in many cases, going with the flow and improvising during a match helped him stay relaxed and keep the game simple.

“I thought Michael could win every match he played, but I guess there was the odd occasion when he knew I was a little worried that he may lose to a lesser-ranked player. I don’t know how he knew, but he did,” Lewis said. “When he detected that in me, he’d say something like, ‘Don’t worry, coach, it’s not that complicated. Just a big kick serve to the backhand, easy volley, game over’. That’s just what he would do, and he’d win.”

Over the course of his nearly decade-long career, Stich finished six consecutive seasons inside the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings, tallied 385 match wins and lifted 18 tour-level titles, including two campaigns during which he triumphed on four different surfaces (1991, 1993).

That’s not a bad haul of accomplishments for a boy who began playing tennis by hitting against a wall at the age of six — which he maintains was his toughest opponent — because he had no choice but to go to the tennis club as his two older brothers went to play the game.

Now, he is a member of an elite group made up of the legends of the sport. And Stich understands that with that distinction comes responsibility.

“I think this sport will be great over the next decades to come,” Stich said. “I promise I’ll do my best to be part of this and to help this and make this happen.”

Marco Cecchinato’s breakthrough 2018 campaign is far from over. In a season that has seen the 25-year-old achieve a bevy of milestones and signature moments, Cecchinato has taken it to the next level.

The Italian reached his second ATP World Tour final of the year on Saturday, surging past qualifier Marco Trungelliti 6-2, 6-1 in just 66 minutes at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. He saved four of five break points faced, while converting four break chances of his own. Trungelliti started strong, breaking immediately to open the match, but Cecchinato would right the ship, reeling off 12 of the next 14 games to run away with the encounter.

“I’m putting in the hard work and that’s the key to this run,” said Cecchinato. “Tomorrow I’m playing against a very good player in Guido Pella. I need to play very good tennis to win again.”

Cecchinato, who lifted his first tour-level trophy in Budapest in April and stunned the tennis world with a run to the Roland Garros semi-finals, will next face Guido Pella for the Umag title. It will be their first FedEx ATP Head2Head encounter and third at all levels, with Cecchinato prevailing at the 2015 ATP Challenger Tour Finals and Pella exacting revenge at the Heilbronn Challenger in 2017.

A winner over John Millman in the final of the Gazprom Hungarian Open, Cecchinato has seen his position in the ATP Rankings soar from outside the Top 100 at the start of the year to a current career-high of No. 27. The Palermo native is projected to rise at least two spots this week as he closes in on the Top 20.

On Sunday, the third-seeded Italian will face unseeded Argentine Pella with the trophy at stake. The 28-year-old earned his third three-set victory of the week with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 triumph over Robin Haase in the first semi-final.

“I think I played a very good match overall,” said Pella. “In the second set, I was nervous. I struggled with the level of his game and tried to push a little bit, but I couldn’t do it. After I lost the second, I started to play well again and was very aggressive in the third. That was the key.”

Pella, who rallied from a set down to defeat both Taro Daniel in the first round and Aljaz Bedene in the second round, is vying for his maiden ATP World Tour crown. It is the third straight year he has reached a title match, having finished runner-up to Pablo Cuevas in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and to Alexander Zverev in Munich in 2017.

While Cecchinato is the third Italian to reach the Umag final in the past three years, joining 2016 winner Fabio Fognini and last year’s finalist Paolo Lorenzi, Pella is the first from his country to advance to the championship since Guillermo Canas and Guillermo Coria went back-to-back in 2004-05.

Did You Know?
Cecchinato and Trungelliti previously met in the second round of Roland Garros, with the Italian prevailing en route to the semi-finals. It was a dramatic tournament for both players, with Trungelliti driving from Barcelona to Paris to sign in as a lucky loser.