Schwartzman will crack top 20 after winning Rio title

[February 26, 2018]  The best week of Diego Schwartzman's career will keep paying dividends into the new week.

Schwartzman, seeded sixth, beat eighth-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-2, 6-3 in the Rio Open final Sunday at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Argentinian's first title in an ATP 500-level event.

As a result, on Monday, Schwartzman will jump from No. 23 in the world rankings to a career-high No. 18.

Schwartzman, 25, didn't lose a set all week on the clay courts at Rio while capturing his second career ATP World Tour championship. His other title came on clay at Istanbul, Turkey, in 2016.

"It's been two years since I've won a tournament so I am very happy," he said. "It was a perfect week for me."

Schwartzman came through Sunday at the key moments, saving eight of Verdasco's nine break points.

Schwartzman also won 62 percent of his service points to Verdasco's 49 percent success rate on his serve. In particular, Schwartzman picked on Verdasco's second serve, winning 50 percent of the points.

Verdasco might have worn down as a result of his success in both singles and doubles in Rio. After winning his singles semifinal on Saturday, he teamed with fellow Spaniard David Marrero to defeat Croatia's Nikola Mektic and Austria's Alexander Peya 5-7, 7-5, 10-8 for the doubles crown.

 

Schwartzman said, "I was very patient, solid, intense, I knew he was very tired as he had played both singles and doubles."

Verdasco, 34, owns seven career ATP World Tour titles, though his most recent championship came in 2016 on clay at Bucharest, Romania.

In a major coincidence, Verdasco won't have to wait long for a rematch with Schwartzman. The two were drawn together for a first-round match in coming week in the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico. However, the two were granted a day off Monday.

--Field Level Media

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