Cedric Pioline came from a match point down to overhaul Greg Rusedski and win his first ever BlackRock Masters Tennis trophy.
A packed Royal Albert Hall crowd watched enthralled as the Frenchman took three Tie-Break sets to overcome his dogged opponent in 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 11-9 (Champions’ Tie Break) in one hour and 45 minutes.
In a match that saw Pioline and Rusedski hit a total of 22 aces, there was little to choose between the two men in the first set.
In the end the decisive moment came when Pioline double-faulted in the Tie-Break to hand the set to his opponent.
The second set was equally nail-biting as both men held serve with ease to take it to a second Tie-Break.
This time though the momentum swung quickly the way of the Frenchman, as Rusedski double-faulted at 2-2 offering Pioline a mini-break and the chance to level up the match at one set all.
It was a chance that he duly took and in the deciding Champions’ Tie-Break it was the Frenchman who played the more aggressive tennis when it mattered.
Facing a match point at 8-9 down, the 39-year-old Pioline aced his way out of trouble and went on to take the following two points, clinching the match with a scorching forehand winner down the line.
“I took my chances and it worked,” said Pioline. “It was really close and it came down to a few points and I think at the end maybe I just returned a little bit better than him.”
Rusedski was disappointed not to convert his chances today, but admitted he had lost to the better player on the day.
“I was just one or two points short,” he said. “I had one match point in the second set tie break but Cedric played great and I think he’s a deserving champion.
For Pioline, the win was the perfect way to round off one of his favourite tournaments of the year.
“It’s been good to have some new faces playing here and I’m just proud that I won here when there was such a strong field, maybe even the strongest ever. This is a prestigious tournament and a prestigious place and I always really enjoy knowing that I’m coming to London to play because I feel really at home here,” he said.
Despite his disappointment, Rusedski is keen to return to the Royal Albert Hall next year to have another shot at winning his first BlackRock Masters Tennis title.
“Overall it’s been a great week and I would like to be back here next year. This is a fabulous arena and it’s a fabulous event. I’ve really enjoyed the whole week and I think the Albert Hall is probably one of the best places in the world to play tennis.”
This year's BlackRock Masters Tennis saw a record number of spectators pass through the gates of the Royal Albert Hall. With 34,968 tickets sold for the week, the total exceeded last year's previous record figure by 2,827.
