Muller finally breaks duck with Sydney title

Gilles Muller's long wait for a first ATP World Tour title finally came to an end on Saturday as he beat Dan Evans 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 to win the Sydney International.

Published : Jan 14, 2017 17:05 IST

Gilles Muller on his way to victory in the Sydney International final

Gilles Muller's long wait for a first ATP World Tour title finally came to an end on Saturday as he beat Dan Evans 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 to win the Sydney International.

World number 34 Muller, who beat two-time defending champion Viktor Troicki in the last four, had suffered defeat in each of his five previous final appearances.

However, the 33-year-old Luxembourger proved too strong for Evans, a player featuring in a final for the first time.

Muller needed to come from 4-2 down in a tie-break to take the opener, having lost just five points on serve prior to the breaker.

The second set proved more one-sided, Evans dropping serve on two occasions as his hopes of a maiden title were dashed.

In an emotional presentation, Muller said: "It just means so much for me to win this tournament in front of my boys."

His young sons then took to the court to display their own tennis skills, much to the delight of the Sydney crowd.