Winston-Salem Open: Hubert Hurkacz beats top seed Benoit Paire in three sets to clinch first ATP title

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz outdueled top seed Benoit Paire to earn his first ATP title with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win in the Winston-Salem Open final on Saturday. Hurkacz, 22, steadied himself through a roller coaster affair, which included a brief rain delay after the second set, and came out on top after two hours and nine minutes.

A moment to remember for 🇵🇱 @HubertHurkacz!

The first Polish ATP Tour-level winner since Wojtek Fibak in 1982 😯

🎥: @TennisTV | @WSOpen pic.twitter.com/CQS9JKBsOq

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 24, 2019

Hurkacz became the first Polish winner of a tour-level event since Wojtek Fibak at WCT Chicago in 1982. “That is a lot of time (without a Polish champion). I am so glad that I have been able to win an ATP Tour event,” he said. “I hope many more guys will join me soon and that I will win some more. It means a lot to me and I am glad that I won this tournament here.” Hurkacz’s sparkling week included wins against four consecutive seeded opponents. Paire was in search of his third title of the season after wins in Lyon and Marrakech but lost the big points down the stretch. He was nonetheless satisfied with a solid week ahead of Flushing Meadows. “For me it was a good week,” said Paire. “Honestly, I could have lost in (my second match) so it was really good to be in the final.”