Almagro Wins Second Brasil Open Title

© Marco MaximoNicolas Almagro's eight titles have all come on clay.

Top-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro has claimed his second Brasil Open title in Costa do Sauipe to add to his 2008 victory after a close straight-sets win over Ukrainian No. 4 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-6(3). The Spaniard did not face a break point and dropped only three points on his first serve in the opening set.

“The truth is that it was a beautiful final, a final that I was very happy to be part of," Almagro said. "It’s clear that the tournament is a very important one not only for me but here in all of Brasil and I’ve been lucky enough to win it twice and I will continue to try my best in the future here.”

While their head-to-head was 1-1 going into the final, Dolgopolov, of the Ukraine, had won their previous meeting in a third-set tie-break in Shanghai last year. But Almagro won their only prior meeting on clay, in the third round of Roland Garros last year. Despite the loss, Dolgopolov’s appearance in his first ATP World Tour final this week is likely to take him to a new career-high mark in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings and possibly to within the Top 30. In his last outing, he reached the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.

Dolgopolov said: "I think I played well during the whole tournament, of course the final didn't go my way but Nicolas played a very good match. I'm looking forward to the next tournament and to playing here next year."

Almagro’s victory marks his eighth ATP World Tour victory, all of which have come on clay.  His win also improves his record in Costa do Sauipe to 15-4 and his finals record on the ATP World Tour to 8-2. Almagro dropped just one set en route to victory, against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in the semi-finals.

Almagro extended his streak of winning at least one title a year to six consecutive years, dating back to his debut title in Valencia in 2006. Half of Almagro's career titles have come during the Latin American swing. His previous titles came in Acapulco in 2008-09 and in Costa Do Sauipe in 2008.