Taro Daniel secured his first career ATP title with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 defeat of Tunisias Malek Jaziri in Istanbul on Sunday.In Portugal, Joao Sousa became the first home player to win the Estoril Open with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of American Frances Tiafoe.
The 25-year-old Daniel hit the tennis headlines when toppling 12-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells in March.
The thrill of taking that heavyweight scalp his first win over a top 20 player in the ATP rankings soon dissipated as he lost four of his next five matches.
But the world number 114 regained his form in Turkey this week, advancing for the first time to the semi-finals and maintaining his composure to take the title.
I was feeling pretty nervous before the match, Daniel, who was born in New York and trained in Spain said.
I was nervous, but I told myself, Im sure hes more nervous than me. So that helped. When I started not badly I started to calm down a bit more.
Im obviously pretty surprised that I suddenly won an ATP (title). But I guess things like this happen.
His moment of glory was not without its anxious moments.
He let slip two match points at 5-3 on the Tunisians serve, then double faulted on his third match point but sealed the landmark success with a backhand winner down the line at the fourth opportunity to earn the title.
The win is expected to lift him up to number 82 in the latest ATP rankings published Monday.
In Estoril, Portugal, Joao Sousa had to battle at the end before becoming the first home player to win the Estoril Open with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of American Frances Tiafoe on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Sousa, ranked 68th in the world, needed to call upon his reserves to claim the opening set by saving three break points in the final game.
Serving for victory at 5-2 in the second, the Portuguese was broken as Tiafoe briefly delayed the festivities.
But the local hero came good two games later as he clinched a third career title, a feat which quickly got the mainly Portuguese crowd into the mood for a mass sing-along chorus of celebration.
This is fantastic, its such a special win, especially coming at home, Sousa said. Im so proud to win here.
There are no words to describe this emotion, the fans were fantastic all week. It was incredible, it was a dream come true.
I always wanted to win here in Portugal.
The previous Portuguese high point at the event came in 2010 when Frederico Gil played the final, losing to Albert Montanes of Spain.
Tiafoe, realising how much the victory meant to his opponent, crossed the net to speak with Sousa and congratulate him.
Sousa, playing in his 10th final, also won Valencia in 2015 and at Kuala Lumpur five years ago.
Tiafoe, 20, was thwarted in his bid to collect a second career title after making his trophy breakthrough in February at Delray Beach, Florida.
The world number 64 fell short in the end as he failed to generate the momentum which had kept him in clay contention all week.
Source: NAN