Giron saves championship point against Michelsen to win first ATP Tour title in Newport

pa href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/marcos-giron/gc88/overview'Marcos Giron/a is proving age is just a number./p

pThe 30-year-old is playing the best tennis of his career in 2024 and on Sunday the American won his first ATP Tour title, defeating #NextGenATP countryman a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/alex-michelsen/m0qi/overview'Alex Michelsen/a 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-5 to claim the trophy in at the a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/tournaments/newport/315/overview'Infosys Hall of Fame Open/a in Newport. The champion saved match point with an ace at 4-5, 30/40 in the deciding set and clinched victory with his 13th ace of the match./p

p"Better late than never. We'll take it!" Giron said with a laugh. "There are so many people I can thank and couldn't be more lucky to have them in my life. Family, coaches, friends. For this, it's really special for me but also for all their help and support though the years."/p

[ATP APP]

pThe former college tennis star at UCLA, who underwent right hip surgery in December 2015 and left hip surgery in February 2016, reached his first two ATP Tour finals two years ago in San Diego and earlier this season in Dallas. After a gritty two-hour, 37-minute victory against 19-year-old Michelsen, the veteran Giron can now call himself a tour-level champion. /p

pA critical moment for Giron came when he served at 2-3 in the deciding set. Facing break point, the new No. 38 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings crushed a courageous forehand winner to escape trouble./p

p/p

pMichelsen was then a shot away from the championship with Giron serving at 4-5, but the older of the two Americans did not allow him to touch the ball with an ace down the T. /p

pThe second-seeded Giron saved eight of the nine break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He won 82 per cent of his first-serve points and hit 41 total winners./p

pimg src="/-/media/images/news/2024/07/21/21/43/giron-newport-2024-trophy.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/marcos-giron/gc88/overview'Marcos Giron/a celebrates his first ATP Tour title." /

br /

ema href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/marcos-giron/gc88/overview'Marcos Giron/a celebrates his first ATP Tour title. Photo: Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour/em

/p

p"Honestly, Alex, unbelievable tournament, unbelievable match," Giron told his countryman. "It's unreal, 19 [years old]. We've been practising together. On court, he's so mature, he's so good. He's got such a bright future.nbsp;I'm happy to get the win now while I can!"/p

pMichelsen did not lose serve en route to the final, his second consecutive championship match appearance in Newport. One year ago, aged 18, the American advanced to the final of the ATP 250 event when he had never previously won a tour-level match./p

pThe teen was trying to become the youngest American ATP Tour champion (and first teenager) since a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andy-roddick/r485/overview'Andy Roddick/a in Houston in 2002./p

p[NEWSLETTER FORM]/p