Monday 12 February 2018 11:11, UK
Lucas Pouille claimed his fifth ATP crown with a straight-sets victory over countryman Richard Gasquet at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier.
The 23-year-old, who had benefited from the retirement of another French compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four, dominated behind his serve and secured a 7-6(2) 6-4 win on his fourth championship point.
Pouille, the tournament's second seed, did not face a single break point during the one hour and 26-minute encounter as the world No 17 - who is projected to move up one spot in the rankings - picked up his first title of the season.
Gasquet, who had defeated David Goffin in the semi-finals to reach his sixth successive final in Montpellier, suffered his second successive Open Sud de France final defeat, after last year's loss to Alexander Zverev.
It was the 31-year-old Gasquet who was under the most pressure in the early stages and he was forced to save three break points for a first set tiebreak.
Pouille, 23, broke the world No 33's serve twice on his way to the first set and secured the decisive break in the seventh game of the second set before holding firm to close out the match and claim a second crown on home soil after victory in Metz two years ago.
Both players will now head to Rotterdam for the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament, which you can watch live on Sky Sports throughout the week.
Elsewhere Mirza Basic backed up his surprise semi-final victory over tournament top seed Stan Wawrinka to defeat Romanian Marius Copil and claim a maiden ATP crown at the Sofia Open.
The Bosnian qualifier, playing his seventh match in Bulgaria this week, outlasted Copil - another maiden tour finalist - 7-6(6) 6-7(4) 6-4 in a match which lasted two hours and 19 minutes.
Basic, who becomes the second first-time winner on the tour this season after Daniil Medvedev won in Sydney, secured the crucial break in the ninth game of the final set and will move inside the world's top 100 for the first time tomorrow.
Watch the ATP ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam live on Sky Sports Main Event & Arena from Monday, February 12.
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