Pablo Cuevas beats Guido Pella to claim Rio Open title

Pablo Cuevas claimed his fourth ATP singles title with a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 victory over Guido Pella in the final of the Rio Open on Sunday.

The match was delayed for more than three hours by a torrential downpour with the first set tied at 3-3. 

Cuevas, who defeated Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals, came out of the break fresher than Pella, a first-time ATP Tour finalist, and achieved the break he needed to win the first set.

Neither player could break in the second, which Pella took 7-5 in an exciting tie-break, and the third went with serve until Cuevas broke in what was the final game of the match.

The Uruguayan smashed a forehand winner on the final point, the only break point either player managed in the last two sets, to claim the crown after two hours and 16 minutes at the clay court event.

The £175,000 top prize was the biggest single pay-day of Cuevas' career, coming after his semi-final shocker over Nadal.

"I know people were expecting Nadal but I'm glad you cheered for me," Cuevas said. "I hope everybody in Uruguay enjoyed it."

Left-hander Pella, ranked 71st, is likely to jump to a career-best ranking on Monday, despite failing to capture his first ATP crown. The Argentine took home a runner-up prize of £100,000, also the biggest pay-day of his career.

Cuevas, who is set to move from 45 to 27 in the world rankings, missed two seasons from 2011 to 2013 due to injury, but has come back to win titles at the 2014 Swedish and Croatian Opens and last year's Brazil Open at Sao Paulo.