Ryan Harrison’s game was on song all week at the Memphis Open and the American was rewarded with his maiden ATP World Tour title. Harrison upended Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1, 6-4 in just 76 minutes on Sunday, displaying a dogged defence that saw him deny all 12 break points faced.

The 24 year old is the second first-time winner this year, joining Sydney champion Gilles Muller. He is also the second player to clinch an ATP World Tour title without dropping a set, in addition to Alexandr Dolgopolov, who won in Buenos Aires earlier on Sunday.

“It’s always going to be special, but it’s even better here in front of a group of people that drove up from your hometown and have known you since you were five years old,” Harrison said. “To do it in front of friends and family and people that saw the work I was putting in and my dedication, it definitely makes it more special.

“This was the first place I saw a professional tennis match, driving up from Shreveport. I will always remember Memphis. All those emotions were coming out there at the end. You have dreams and aspirations in life and for me it’s trying to be as great as I can in tennis. For me to come back here and win this title when I had thought it was impossible, it’s amazing.”

Basilashvili rode his bludgeoning forehand to the final, but was unable to penetrate Harrison’s defences. The American snatched the first break in the fourth game and forced a backhand error to take a commanding 5-1 lead. After closing out the opener in 25 minutes, Harrison came under pressure often in the second set, but escaped break points in all five of his service games.

The Louisiana native survived a 0/40 deficit in the sixth game and would consolidate the decisive break for 4-2. He crossed the finish line with one of his nine aces after just over an hour.

“I don’t think I had a single easy hold in the second set,” Harrison added. “He came out and was playing really good tennis. Honestly, he outplayed me most of the second set and I managed to save a bunch of break points and convert on the only one I had. But that happens in tennis. I was fortunate to be the one saving the opportunities.”

Harrison has won 10 matches – and 20 sets – in a row after also lifting the trophy at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Dallas two weeks ago. He is the first player to win Challenger and ATP World Tour titles in consecutive tournaments since David Goffin reeled off four victories in four weeks, including his maiden tour-level crown in Kitzbuhel, in 2014. He is also the first to win on both circuits this year.

The World No. 62 adds $114,595 and 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and is projected to return to the Top 50. The first American winner at the Racquet Club of Memphis since Andy Roddick in 2011, he also finished runner-up with Steve Johnson in the doubles final on Sunday.

Basilashvili, meanwhile, was contesting his second ATP World Tour final, having finished runner-up to Paolo Lorenzi in Kitzbuhel last year. He was bidding to become the first player representing the Republic of Georgia to lift a trophy. The big-hitting 24 year old takes home $60,355 and 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points.

“In the first set, I could not find any rhythm. I was not going for my shots and playing very defensive. Ryan was serving really well on the break points. I had a lot of chances in the second set, but the energy wasn’t great today. It hurts so much, but you have to learn from this for the next matches.

“Ryan was playing unbelievable in the 12 break points,” said Basilashvili. “He was playing really well. If I had just one, I could have found the rhythm, but I wasn’t able to. He made me play a lot of shots, which helped him. He has been playing very good all week.”

The encounter between the American and the Georgian was their first in eight years. Harrison triumphed in the semi-finals of an ITF Futures event in Shingle Springs, California in 2009, when both players were 16 years of age.

Alexandr Dolgopolov arrived at the Argentina Open with just one win in his past 11 matches, but leaves Buenos Aires as champion after defeating top seed Kei Nishikori 7-6(5), 6-4 in Sunday’s final.

With his remarkable turn in form this week, the Ukrainian earns his third ATP World Tour singles title and his first since prevailing in Washington, D.C., in July 2012. He also picks up his first win against his Japanese opponent, having lost all five of their previous FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings in straight sets. Dolgopolov gains 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points and receives a cheque for $97,470.

Dolgopolov didn’t drop a set throughout the week and advanced through a challenging draw. He defeated second seed Pablo Cuevas in the second-round and fourth seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the semi-finals before taking out Nishikori. Dolgopolov also handed Nishikori his first to a player outside the Top 50 since 2014, ending a 50-match win streak.

Nishikori was seeking his 12^th ATP World Tour singles title, but finishes the week as the first Asian-born player to reach the Argentina Open final. He receives 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a cheque for $51,335.

Both players traded service holds in the opening set to force a tie-break, but Dolgopolov found another gear when it mattered most, cracking a forehand winner on his second set point to grab the early advantage. The Ukrainian grabbed the lone break of the match at 3-3 in the second set with a backhand return winner. He held his slight advantage the rest of the way, converting on his first match point to prevail in one hour and 40 minutes.

Both Nishikori and Dolgopolov will compete next week at the Rio Open presented by Claro. Nishikori is the top seed once again and faces Thomaz Bellucci in the opening round, while Dolgopolov will start the week off against sixth seed David Ferrer.

Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers have clinched their first ATP World Tour title as a pairing at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament with a 7-6(5), 6-3 victory over Dutch wild card team Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop.

Dodig/Granollers, playing just their second event together, had dispatched top seeds Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert for a place in the Rotterdam final, whilst Koolhof/Middelkoop were looking to add to their Apia International Sydney trophy they won last month.

Watch Full Match Replays

With no breaks, a tie-break was required to separate these in-form pairings in the opening set and the third seeds managed to edge ahead. They struck instantly in set two to build a 2-0 lead, an advantage they maintained until closing out the title in 73 minutes.

“We have played some amazing tennis together. We played some great matches at the Australian Open, played the quarter-finals and lost a tough match to the Bryans,” said Dodig after they claimed the title without dropping a set. “I am really happy the way we are playing and hopefully we can continue this level.”

The Rotterdam champions secured 500 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings Points and €111,890 in prize money. Dodig landed his seventh tour-level doubles trophy, Spaniard Granollers took his tally to 14.

“I am very happy,” said Granollers. “We played great tennis all week in all of the matches. Without a doubt, it has been a great start with Ivan, reaching the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and winning an [ATP World Tour] 500 title. We are very happy with our form.”

Koolhof/Middelkoop were bidding to become the first Dutch duo to win on home soil in Rotterdam since Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis in 1998, but still leave with 300 ranking points and €54,780 prize money.

Nikoloz Basilashvili raced through the latter stages of his Memphis Open semi-final on Saturday and into his second ATP World Tour final, weathering a marathon opening set to advance past Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6(5), 6-1.

“The more matches you play, the more you get used to playing in these important moments,” said Basilashvili. “I have really good energy at the moment and am enjoying being on the court, so I hope to keep this level going.”

Awaiting Basilashvili in the final is the winner between Americans Ryan Harrison and Donald Young.

The Georgian player hasn’t lost a set this week and has been enjoying a hot streak on indoor hard courts, recording a semi-final finish last week in Sofia (l. Dimitrov).  He’s now one win from his first ATP World Tour title after finishing runner-up in his maiden final this past July in Kitzbuehel (l. Lorenzi). Currently at a career-high No. 67 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, a win on Sunday would put Basilashvili inside the Top 50.

Basilashvili and Kukushkin battled through a 78-minute opening set, with several games featuring multiple deuces. Little separated the two players through the tie-break, but some impressive scrambling from Basilashvili at 5/5 drew two errors from Kukushkin and gave the Georgian the early advantage. Losing the set appeared to flatten Kukushkin’s spirit, while Basilashvili raised his level further and began pinning his opponent well behind the baseline. The Georgian broke his opponent twice in the second set en route to prevailing in one hour and 46 minutes. 

DOUBLES

American Brian Baker and Croatian Nikola Mektic reached their first final of the year by defeating Australians Matthew Ebden/Bernard Tomic 7-6(1), 6-2. They will play the winner between second seeds Oliver Marach/Fabrice Martin and Americans Harrison/Steve Johnson.

Alexandr Dolgopolov has been a dominant force this week at the Argentina Open and the Ukrainian continued his strong form on Saturday, blasting past Pablo Carreno Busta 7-5, 6-2 to reach the final.

Dolgopolov has not relinquished a set in advancing to his seventh ATP World Tour final and first on the clay of Buenos Aires. He will contest his first title match in three years, since falling to Rafael Nadal in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, against either top seed Kei Nishikori or home hope Carlos Berlocq.

The 28 year old needed just 69 minutes to dispatch fourth seed Carreno Busta on a sunny afternoon on Court Guillermo Vilas. Dolgopolov settled down after being broken to love to open the match, breaking back immediately and turning aside the Spaniard’s four other chances in the encounter.

Dolgopolov’s successful week comes at an opportune time, having dropped 10 of 11 matches entering Buenos Aires. The World No. 66 will look to complete his resurgent run against either Nishikori or Berlocq in Sunday’s final.

Defeat for Carreno Busta, meanwhile, ends an eight-year run of Spaniards reaching the Buenos Aires final. The 25 year old was bidding to join Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer, Nicolas Almagro, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo in that span.

Reigning Doubles Champs Survive
Defending champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah were made to work to book a return trip to the Buenos Aires final. The Colombian power stepped up with their backs against the wall, rallying past Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 4-6, 7-6(0), 10-3 in Saturday’s semis.

Bolelli and Fognini held a match point while serving for a spot in the final at 6-4, 6-5, but Cabal and Farah reeled off eight straight points to force a Match Tie-break and eventually advanced after one hour and 50 minutes. The top seeds will appear in their 18th ATP World Tour final together, facing Santiago Gonzalez and David Marrero on Sunday.