THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COSTA DO SAUIPE, Brazil -- Thomas Robredo of Spain earned his eighth career title when he overcame Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 and a partisan crowd in the Brazil Open final on Saturday.
Second-seeded Robredo was broken when serving for the match at 5-3 in the third set, but immediately returned the favour to unseeded Bellucci to finish the two-hour 13-minute match on clay.
Bellucci, Brazil's top player, hadn't reached an ATP quarter-finals until this week, and was trying to become the first home champion since Gustavo Kuerten in 2004. Backed by 2,000 raucous home fans, he gave Robredo a better match than expected in their first clash.
Robredo's break in the second game decided the first set. He hadn't dropped a set or lost a service game in the tournament, but after winning 41 successive service games, he was broken by Bellucci for 5-3 in the second, and the Brazilian hung on to force a deciding set.
Robredo made the first break for 4-2, but Bellucci cancelled it in the ninth game. Robredo pulled out a third break in the last game and celebrated his first title since last July.
Seven of his eight titles have been won on clay.
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