Pella takes São Paulo - first ATP title

Finals day in São Paulo:

Brasil Open - an ATP 250 category tournament, on Red Clay, in São Paulo, Brazil, 25 February - 3 March 2019.

Defending champion:

Fabio Fognini (2) who defeated Nicolas Jarry 1-6 6-1 6-4 

• Christian Garin v Guido Pella (3)

Guido Pella came to the final having lost all of his four previous ATP Tour finals - one each year from the 2016 Rio Open through to this years Córdoba Open.

Christian Garin was the junior champion at the 2013 French Open, where he defeated Alexander Zverev, but this would be his first final at ATP Tour level.

The pair had met before in a couple of challengers in 2015, and in a Davis Cup match between Argentina and Chile last year, but not at this level.  Pella won all those matches.

Just as he had done in his semi final victory, Pella was diligent in set one when having to put a second serve into play, winning eight of eleven points.  Garin not so good, four from seventeen; his success relied on the first serve where he won 80% of the time.  This wasn’t sufficient to fix the disparity when dealing with secondary deliveries, and Pella broke twice in the set, once more than the Chilean. 7-5 to Argentina.

With a first serve percentage of 81 in set two, Pella pressed home his advantage.  He won 18 of 21 points when the first serve was legal, ensuring that break opportunities for Garin were limited to just one. (safely dealt with)

Garin however was consistently under pressure, a first serve percentage only just above halfway, then only winning two thirds of those points.

Pella found two break points and converted both.  

Argentina’s third ranked player, Guido Pella, won his first ATP Tour title 7-5 6-3, and rose 14 places to #34 in the world, a new career high, previously #39.

Garin rises 20 spots to a new career high of #72, previously #84, and becomes the new Chilean number one, overtaking Nicolas Jarry, last years losing finalist in this tournament.