Chardy wins 1st career title by beating Hanescu 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in Mercedes Cup final

Chardy wins Mercedes Cup for 1st career title

STUTTGART, Germany — Jeremy Chardy of France won his first career ATP Tour title on Sunday, beating Victor Hanescu of Romania 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the Mercedes Cup final.

After clinching the second set following a break of serve, Chardy raced to a 4-0 lead in the third.

But Hanescu, who was seeded fourth, won the next three games and held two break points to even the score. Chardy saved them, held serve and then served out the match at love.

“It was very difficult,” Chardy said. “I was very nervous at the start and felt the pressure in the third.”

Chardy swigged from a bottle of champagne at the victory ceremony and then took a brief spin behind the wheel of a luxury car donated to the winner by the title sponsor.

It was Chardy’s second career final. He finished as runner-up in Johannesburg in February.

“He absolutely deserved to win, he played very well,” Hanescu said.

The 22-year-old Frenchman entered the tournament ranked No. 43, but will move up to somewhere around No. 35 when the new rankings come out Monday.

Hanescu beat Chardy in the quarterfinals of the Gstaad, Switzerland, tournament when he won his only title to date last year, but lost to the Frenchman in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters this year.