Britain's Kyle Edmund has to dig deep but snatches first title in Antwerp
Britain's Kyle Edmund has won the Antwerp ATP tennis tournament 'the European Open' edging out Frenchman Gaël Monfils in the final, after a long and tense battle: 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4). It's Edmund's first career title.
Kyle Edmund, the world's number 15, was the top seed in Antwerp. In the final, he met fierce French resistance as he was opposed to Gaël Monfils, the world's number 38. Edmund made the difference in two tie-breaks, and with his hammering fore-hand.
23-year-old Edmund grabbed his first ATP title at the expense of his 32-year-old opponent after a battle lasting 2 hours and 27 minutes. "My goal was to stay consistent", he told the audience just after the match. "I had to dig deep, because it was the first time I met with with so much resistance. I had to work hard, but this title will help me a lot for the future."
The European Open had two French winners in the past two years: Richard Gasquet in 2016 and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last year.