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After Ugo Humbert, Casper Ruud and Thiago Seyboth Wild, the ATP Tour got the fourth first-time champion of the season. The young Serb Miomir Kecmanovic beat Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 16 minutes, lifting the first ATP trophy after winning only one match on clay before this week!
Miomir defeated Kei Nishikori in the first round, prevailing over Federico Delbonis in the quarters and beating Marc-Andrea Huesler to book the place in the second ATP final. Kecmanovic lost a tight Antalya final a year ago to Lorenzo Sonego, changing that on Sunday against the German to celebrate his young career's proudest moment.
Miomir lost 17 points in ten service games, fending off four out of five break chances and converting three break opportunities to seal the deal against a former college star who battled in the second ATP Final. World no. 47 won eight matches before Kitzbuhel this season, reaching the semis in Doha and New York before heading all the way on fast Austrian clay court.
Hanfmann's previous ATP final came on a similar court in Gstaad three years ago, passing the qualifying round here in Kitzbuhel and winning four matches to fight for the trophy. The German held at 15 in the first game but couldn't stay in touch for too long, with Kecmanovic earning a break in game three when Yannick netted a drop shot.
The Serb defended two break points with service winners in the next one, opening a 4-2 advantage with another unreturned serve in game six. After that break he suffered, Hanfmann was on the level terms with Kecmanovic, at least in his games, doing no damage on the return and sending a drop shot wide in the tenth game to hand the opener to the Serb.
Carried by this momentum, Miomir secured an early break in the second set, forcing an error from Hanfmann for a hold at 30 and a 2-0 lead.
Miomir Kecmanovic is the fourth first-time winner of the season.
The German kept fighting, bringing the third game home with a service winner and pulling the break back when Miomir sprayed a backhand error to level the score at 2-2.
Yannick secured the third straight game to move in front but it wasn't to be for him, netting a smash at 3-3 to suffer a break at love. Miomir held at love in game eight to cement the advantage, serving for the victory in game ten, one of the most important of his career.
Hanfmann created two break points that could have kept him in contention, denied by some powerful hitting from Kecmanovic who defended both and sealed the deal with a service winner to start a massive celebration.