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Laslo Djere was just looking for match wins coming into the Rio Open presented by Claro, but walked away with his first ATP Tour title. The 23-year-old Serbian defeated #NextGenATP Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime to win the ATP 500 event in Rio de Janeiro.

Djere was competing in his first ATP Tour final after reaching three other semi-finals on clay. The milestone moment puts him at a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 37.

The Serbian is also the fifth first-time champion on the ATP Tour in 2019, just eight weeks into the season.

First-Time Winners In 2019

Player
Age Tournament
Alex de Minaur 19  Sydney  Tennys Sandgren 27  Auckland  Juan Ignacio Londero 25  Cordoba  Reilly Opelka 
21
New York Laslo Djere 
23
Rio de Janeiro Radu Albot
29
Delray Beach

Afterwards, Djere spoke to ATPTour.com:

How does it feel to win your first ATP Tour title?
I’m really happy about this title, especially winning in my first final at the 500-level. It's an exceptional day for me in my career and my life. I was a little bit nervous for the final because I knew I was facing a tough opponent. I started to move and it got easier, but it was still very tough mentally and physically.

You didn’t have a ton of match wins to start the season. How do you then find yourself with an ATP 500 title this week?
I’ve never started the season well. The past two years I was losing eight or nine matches in a row. I wasn’t so nervous until Rio because it was only mid-February, but I knew a win would mean a lot. I was a bit disappointed when I saw the draw and saw I was facing Dominic Thiem in the first round, but I believed I could win.

What did it mean to beat a former champion in Thiem and get your first Top 10 win? Was that a key to your week?
Sometimes a player beats a tough opponent and flies through the week, which is what happened to me. Moments like beating a Top 10 player are the reason I dedicated my whole life to this sport. It means a lot and I’m sure it gave me some experience.

As fellow Serbians on the ATP Tour, do you have a relationship with Novak Djokovic? Has he given you any advice or encouragement?
We know each other and always say a few words when we see each other at tournaments. He obviously plays the biggest tournaments and that wasn’t always the case in my career, so I haven’t had a chance to see him as much. He sent me a message when I reached the Top 100 [of the ATP Rankings] and called me to play doubles with him at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, when I was nowhere close to the Top 100. He’s a great guy and an inspiration to all of us.

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Your parents played a big part in your comments yesterday and then today in the trophy ceremony. What would they think of this result?
They would be really happy. I learned at a young age that life isn’t fair, but it’s unfortunate that they can’t enjoy this success because they dedicated their lives to me and the sport. I hope they see this and that they’re really proud of me.

How will you celebrate tonight?
I didn’t make a plan for that yet. I’ll definitely celebrate with my coach since he’s here…maybe switch from the pasta, rice and chicken I’ve had for the past 10 days. I think maybe a glass of wine and then I’ll really celebrate when I get back to Serbia with my friends and family.

Huge congratulations to Laslo for his amazing win at @RioOpenOficial & his maiden @ATP_Tour trophy. You have demonstrated a great deal of resilience & fighting spirit in difficult times. Thank you for your honesty & transparency in sharing your emotions about your parents

Years ago, a Moldovan man was watching his television, clicking through the channels when he saw something he had never seen before: tennis. The man liked the sport, and decided his son should try it. That boy was Radu Albot.

“When I started playing tennis, I was not following it on TV. It was just fun for me, running after balls, running around the court, playing games besides tennis,” Albot said. “Just more like a fun activity, it wasn’t like a serious sport.”

The 29-year-old says that there are not many public courts in Moldova. Mostly, there are courts available at private clubs. The country is small, with just more than 3.5 million residents.

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“There are enough courts to practise and enough to start playing there,” Albot said.

And that’s all the right-hander needed. Albot has set the bar for Moldovan tennis, and he hopes to inspire children in his country to take up the sport. Albot became the first player from his country to crack the Top 100 on 27 July 2015. Since 1984 Wimbledon, only two other Moldovans had reached the Top 500, so, as a kid, Albot found players from other countries to idolise.

“I was mostly following the Russian players like Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Marat Safin and I liked very much Roger Federer and David Ferrer,” Albot said. “I thought I was playing a little bit like David with my game style. I really admired him. When I got on the Tour, I tried to organise practice with him as much as I could.

“The first time you have a little bit of emotions, you’re excited to practise and to give your best in a practice. It’s a little bit like a dream. You see the guy for years on TV and suddenly you’re practising with him on the other side of the court, so that’s really cool and you could put it as an achievement in your career.”

Albot stands only 5’9”, but he makes up for his lack of height with his footwork and grit on the court, battling to make his opponents hit as many balls as possible.

“I’m an overall player, I’m fighting until the end, every point. Every time I play the ball in the court, so it’s really difficult to take me off the court,” Albot said. “For sure they think I’m a tough opponent to play.”

At the New York Open, Albot defeated two of the tallest players in the sport in two consecutive years. On Wednesday, he defeated 6’11” Ivo Karlovic, withstanding a barrage of 37 aces to reach the second round. Last season, Albot ousted 6’10” John Isner, this year's top seed.

"He competes very well. I think he has to, and his match today against Ivo was very indicative of that. He got aced almost 40 times, but he stayed the course and was able to win that match," Isner said. "He's a very little guy... He competes very well and he's actually a pretty aggressive player for being someone who's smaller in stature.

"I think a surface like this actually suits him pretty well because he likes to play aggressively and on his front foot. He takes the ball early. I know he plays Sam [Querrey] tomorrow, so I think that will be a pretty good match because Radu is very capable and I have a lot of respect for him."

Albot made his biggest breakthrough yet at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, coming from a set down in his final three matches to become the first Moldovan to lift an ATP Tour title. It took a while for Albot to get to this level, as he was 25 when he made the Top 100 for the first time. But he was motivated to play in the main draw of more Grand Slam and ATP Tour events. Now that he’s there, Moldova’s tennis trailblazer will look to continue pushing forward.

“Now that I’m at my career-high, I want to be higher,” Albot said. “I had a goal for a couple of years now to break the Top 50 and I haven’t achieved it yet, but I really hope that in the future or in 2019 this will happen.”

Editor's Note: This story was originally published on 13 February, and updated to reflect that Albot won his first ATP Tour title in Delray Beach.

Rain nor the brink of defeat could stop Radu Albot from making history on Sunday at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com. The 29-year-old became the first Moldovan to win an ATP Tour title, saving three championship points and beating qualifier Daniel Evans 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(7).

Albot had never reached a tour-level final before this tournament. And in his two previous ATP Tour semi-finals, the Moldovan won just four games each time. But despite a 56-minute rain delay thwarting Albot’s momentum after he broke for a 2-1 lead in the third set, the World No. 82 held his nerve to lift his first trophy after a thrilling two hours and 51 minutes.

"It feels unbelievable. You work so much. You work your whole life, your whole career, and at the end you win a tournament," Albot said. "This is just a great feeling. I think it's difficult to put into words."

Since records have been kept, only one other player from Moldova cracked the Top 200 of the ATP Rankings. That was Roman Borvanov (career-high No. 200), who supported Albot in Delray Beach this week. Albot has set virtually every record for Moldovan tennis, adding a crown jewel with his first title. He is projected to climb to a career-high on the fringe of the Top 50 on Monday.

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Albot’s nickname is ‘The Machine’, and he certainly looked the part on Sunday. Evans started well early, using his knifing backhand slice to keep the Moldovan from gaining much rhythm. But Albot settled down in the second set and stood his ground on the baseline, using his superior depth and weight of ball to push Evans back.

Albot, who also reached the doubles semi-finals this week with Yoshihito Nishioka, showed his comfort at net by taking any ball that Evans left short, hitting a strong approach shot and finishing off the point in the forecourt. But everything changed at 2-1, 15/0 in the decider. Rain began to fall, and play was suspended for nearly an hour.

When the competitors returned to the court in Delray Beach, Evans had some extra pep in his step. The passing shots that Albot was able to put away before the delay suddenly had extra zing in them, and Evans broke back for 3-4 by changing his pattern of play. For nearly the entire match, the Brit sliced his backhands, but Evans hit over his one-handed backhand on an approach shot, forcing a mishit error from Albot. From there, Evans was the one putting pressure on the Moldovan, getting to 15/30 on Albot's serve in the 29-year-old's next two service games.

Evans appeared destined to complete the comeback when he took a 6/4 lead in the final-set tie-break. But Evans made errors on all three of his chances, including a backhand volley from just a couple feet inside the baseline at 7/6 that sailed mere inches long. Unbefitting of the quality of the match, Evans double-faulted when he faced his first match point, allowing Albot to lift the trophy.

"He hit a good volley [on his third match point]. I have to give him credit. It's easy to say I didn't take the match points but I thought he played great in the moments he needed to play great," Evans said. "I was 2-4 down and staring down the barrel to be honest. I gave it a good go and it wasn't good enough."

Credit belongs to the Moldovan for battling from a set down for the third consecutive match. While players showed they could sometimes hit through Albot, he always stayed the course and raised his level whenever his opponents showed any sign of weakness. For his efforts, Albot gains 250 ATP Ranking points and $97,490 in prize money. The last player to win the first ATP Tour trophy for his country was Stefanos Tsitsipas, this week's Marseille champion, in Stockholm last year.

"It was not in the plan, I have to say, losing the first set and then coming back. But it worked out pretty good this week. When you lose a set, it's just half a match," Albot said. "If you want to win the match you need to win two sets. I still had chances, I got chances and I used them."

Evans, who was trying to become the first qualifier to lift the trophy in Delray Beach since Ernests Gulbis in 2013, and the first Brit to triumph in the tournament’s 27-year history, leaves with 150 points and $52,495 in prize money.

"He played some good tennis right at the end when he needed it. It's a little unlucky to lose 7-6 in the third with big chances, obviously three match points. But I don't think I did much wrong. I missed two forehands, but not by a lot."

Did You Know?
This was the first third-set tie-break in the Delray Beach final since Tommy Haas beat Xavier Malisse in 2006.

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Laslo Djere's week at the Rio Open presented by Claro went from great on Tuesday to career-changing on Sunday. The 23-year-old Serbian won his maiden ATP Tour title in Brazil, beating 18-year-old Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada 6-3, 7-5 to take the ATP 500 crown.

Djere nor Auger-Aliassime had competed in a tour-level final before, but in a nervy title match from both sides, the 23-year-old was the calmer and more free-swinging of the two. Djere broke the #NextGenATP Canadian six times, and although he was far from perfect with his serve, when he needed to, he found a way out of trouble.

Djere, No. 90 in the ATP Rankings, is projected to rise to No. 37 on Monday when the new ATP Rankings are released. He dedicated the title to his late parents. His mother passed away seven years ago, Djere said, and his father died just two months ago.

“I don’t know many tennis players who went through these things. I want to be that guy who inspires others and shows that you can still be successful,” Djere said.

“It’s been the week of my dreams. So many things have been achieved here. I’m really happy, excited and emotional now. I’m happy I could push through this match because it was very tough mentally and physically.”

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The Serbian's week started with a straight-sets win against top seed and 2017 champion Dominic Thiem for his first Top 10 victory. His coach, upon seeing Thiem as his charge's first-round opponent, was initially frustrated.

"My coach was disappointed because he felt I was playing so good in the practises and then I got the top seed in the first round. But I felt that I should look at it in a positive way and that maybe this was a good moment to play the top seed,” Djere said.

From there, the Serbian didn't drop a set against Japan's Taro Daniel and #NextGenATP Norwegian Casper Ruud, and a semi-final walkover (Bedene) left him fresh for the final against Auger-Aliassime, who was after ATP Tour history.

Not since Kei Nishikori (18 years, 50 days) at the 2008 Delray Beach Open had a player younger than Auger-Aliassime, who will turn 19 in August, won a tour-level title. The Canadian became the youngest player to reach an ATP 500 title match since the tournament tier was established in 2009.

But a shaky start put Auger-Aliassime behind from the beginning, as the final opened with three consecutive service breaks. Djere, however, calmed himself down, holding and then breaking Auger-Aliassime when the Canadian donated his second double fault of the game to fall behind 1-4. Auger-Aliassime, for the match, hit more than twice as many unforced errors as winners, 47 to 20, including nine double faults.

“It was my serve that fell apart today, but it could have been my backhand or my forehand,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s frustrating because I could have done better today, but it shows that I have to mature as a player and a person to give myself chances to win titles. There’s nothing wrong with that. It just proves I have to keep working and get better.”

Djere, meanwhile, was hitting tomahawk forehand return winners and opening up the court with his two-handed backhand, surprising Auger-Aliassime with down-the-line winners.

The Canadian shifted the momentum by breaking to start the second set and playing his way into more rallies. But Djere routinely made him work for one more shot.

The Serbian broke back in the sixth game when Auger-Aliassime let slip a 40/15 lead. Serving to stay in the match in the 12th game, Auger-Aliassime saved four championship points before dumping a forehand into the net.

“My expectations weren’t to win this. But throughout the week, I felt that I was playing really good here," Djere said.

He will receive 500 ATP Rankings points and $369,000 in prize money. Auger-Aliassime will receive 300 ATP Rankings points and $185,325 in prize money.

Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan have never lived in Delray Beach, Florida, but the Delray Beach Open has long served as a second home to the all-time greats, and it did again on Sunday.

The Bryans won their fifth Delray Beach crown and 117th tour-level title together, beating another pair of brothers in Brits Ken Skupski/Neal Skupski 7-6(5), 6-4 during the historic final at the ATP 250. The title is their first together since last April at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the last time they celebrated a tour-level title before Bob injured his right hip and had to miss the rest of the 2018 season.

“We're very, very, very pleased with how this week's gone. Our expectations... have been a little bit lower than they have in the past. We've just been trying to have fun and enjoy our time together, and it's actually resulted in some really good play. We didn't lose a set this week. We're taking care of our serve and just weathering the tough times during matches,” Bob Bryan said.

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The twin Americans were playing in their seventh Delray Beach final (5-2) and first tour-level title match since the 2018 Mutua Madrid Open, an ATP Masters 1000, last May, when Bob's right hip forced him to retire.

He didn't play another match all season, and Mike went on to partner countryman Jack Sock for three titles – Wimbledon, US Open and the Nitto ATP Finals – and become the oldest player (40 years, 78 days) to be ranked No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

Watch: The Bryan Brothers Road To The 2019 Season

"Watching Mike do it last year gave me a lot of confidence," Bob Bryan said. "To see that he could get to No. 1 and be so dominant with Jack really helped me mentally. It helped get me to this stage because I know it's possible."

After Bob recuperated from hip surgery he underwent last August, the Bryans joined forces again in January, and their title this week shows they're back – or at least close to – their 2018 form that saw them pick up two ATP Masters 1000 titles (Miami, Monte-Carlo) before Bob's injury.

“We don't want to stop here. We want to keep rolling and hold up bigger ones, hopefully an [ATP Masters 1000] in the near future and then a [Grand Slam],” Mike Bryan said.

The teams traded breaks in the opening set, but the Bryans took the tie-break with a 1-2 punch – a serve then volley winner. The Skupskis struggled to put the first set behind them, as Neal Skupski contributed two of their seven double faults for the match in the opening game of the second set. The Bryans earned the break, the only one they'd need in the second set.

The Bryans will receive 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points and $32,950 in prize money. The Skupskis will receive 150 ATP Doubles Rankings points and $16,870 in prize money.

It was the first all-brothers doubles final on the ATP Tour since June 1977, when Vijay Amritraj and Anand Amritraj beat John Lloyd and David Lloyd 6-1, 6-2 at The Queen's Club in London.

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Roger Federer has not competed on clay since the 2016 Internazionali BNL d’Italia. But on Sunday in Dubai, the World No. 7 revealed why he is returning to the surface this season.

“I think after not playing for two years, also missing the French [Open] three years ago because of injury, I think the team understood that I was in the mood to do it again. I did grow up on clay, after all. I felt like my body is strong enough now again to do the surface changes from hard to clay to grass to hard. In the past I felt different,” said Federer, who has committed to the Mutua Madrid Open thus far. “It was purely based on [the fact that] I would just like to play. We can always readjust the schedule accordingly depending how I play the clay.”

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Federer also put to rest any chatter regarding any other reasons he might be competing on clay in 2019. To the 37-year-old, it’s simple.

“This doesn't mean this is my last clay-court season, or I had to play one more time before I retired. That was not the thinking,” Federer said. “My body was ready, I was ready, my schedule with the family, my schedule with the team was ready to do it again. This is when I opted to say, ‘It will be nice. Instead of taking a big chunk off, I'd rather stay in the rhythm and actually enjoy myself on the clay.’ It's going to be challenging, no doubt about it. I have to take baby steps in the beginning to some extent, but that's okay.”

For now, Federer is remaining focused on the task at hand: the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, an ATP 500 event he has won seven times. This week, Federer will make his fourth attempt to win his 100th tour-level title. He’s not getting too far ahead of himself, though.

“I think that's got to be the mindset, that you try your best every match, every week, anyway. Things fall into place or they don't. It's not because of lack of effort,” Federer said. “We've been talking about 99 titles ever since Basel, every tournament I've played. There's nothing new. Of course, coming to Dubai where I've enjoyed a lot of success sort of makes you believe maybe it could happen here. Then again, the draw is tough. I haven't played in a few weeks so you reset everything, get ready for your first round, hope everything is going to click again here in Dubai.”

Federer will face Philipp Kohlschreiber on Monday evening for the 14th time in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series. While the Swiss has won each of their previous 13 meetings, he is not taking the German veteran lightly. They played two tight practice sets a couple of days ago.

“7-6 in the first. I think it was for me. I wonder if he was a break up in the second, something like that. It was close. I remember it was very close,” Federer said.

“Everybody can play tennis. We can feel [that] in practice every single day. The moment you're not 100 per cent on, margins are so slim, you could easily lose. I think that's why it always keeps us very humble and on the ground,” Federer said. “That's why this first round is a true test. I think when you come through it, it also fuels you with a lot of confidence. I'm looking forward to it.”

Read Draw Preview: Roger Learns Path To 100th Title

Federer is competing for the first time since a surprising quarter-final loss at the Australian Open against reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas. But he says he is not carrying any of that disappointment into Dubai.

“I still felt like I played okay. It wasn't a horrible tournament for me,” Federer said. “I played good actually [in all the] matches. I just messed up on some big, big points. I'm not going to change my game because I missed out on some opportunities. So it's actually been a nice break away from it all.

“I'm feeling good now. Fitness has been going well, tennis has been going well. I've been here a few days. I feel really well prepared. I'm excited that the ATP Tour is moving on and I'm here. I'm happy to be back.”

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Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his surge towards the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings on Sunday, beating Mikhail Kukushkin 7-5, 7-6(5) at the Open 13 Provence to lift his second ATP Tour title.

Tsitsipas, who will rise to a career-high No. 11 in the ATP Rankings on Monday 25 February, entered the tournament searching for form after early losses in Sofia (l. to Monfils) and Rotterdam (l. to Dzumhur), but found his best level to take the title in Marseille without dropping a set. The 20-year-old Tsitsipas, who owns an 11-4 record this season, last month became the youngest Grand Slam semi-finalist since Novak Djokovic (2007 US Open) at the Australian Open.

"I lost the spark [after the Australian Open] and I was frustrated because it felt like I couldn't find it again," said Tsitsipas. "This week, I can say I am really happy because I felt this hunger back again... I really hope it stays the same because there are many good players out there that play for the same prize."

Tsitsipas' second tour-level trophy comes less than five months after lifting his maiden title in Stockholm (d. Gulbis) last October. The #NextGenATP Greek also ended his 2018 season with success in Milan, winning each of his five matches to triumph at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

"Winning titles is the thing that I am working for... It is the biggest satisfaction and the biggest joy in tennis," said Tsitsipas.

The World No. 12, who revealed his desire to add ATP 500 and ATP Masters 1000 trophies to his collection this year, improves to 2-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry with Kukushkin. Tsitsipas also defeated the Kazakh in three sets at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last year.

"[I have] satisfaction. There was a lot of stress this week because I knew I had to face some good opponents... When you care a lot, you tend to be more stressed than usual. I am happy that I got through that stress and played the game that I was supposed to play," said Tsitsipas.

Holding serve with relative ease throughout the first set, Tsitsipas put Kukushkin under consistent pressure on serve. The #NextGenATP Greek tried to keep points short, charging to the net and dictating with his backhand to earn points on return. Kukushkin handled the pressure well to reach 5-5, before Tsitsipas made a crucial move. After holding serve for a 6-5 lead, the top seed played with depth and brought his forehand into play to extract a crucial backhand error from his opponent for a one-set advantage.

After failing to convert his first break-point opportunity, Kukushkin claimed the opening break of the second set at 2-2 with his second cross-court forehand winner of the game. But Tsitsipas recaptured his best level as Kukushkin served for the set at 5-4, playing with depth, while varying the pace on his groundstrokes, to reach a tie-break. With the trophy in sight, Tsitsipas moved up the court and extracted errors from his opponent with aggressive forehands to claim the title.

"I lost my serve at 5-4 [in the second set] and I had to win that service [game] if I wanted to win the match," said Kukushkin. "I made a few mistakes in the tie-break. From one point, it was a really great match. It was a great week for me... I played a good level of tennis today. Unfortunately, I made a few mistakes that decided the winner today."

Kukushkin was bidding to capture his second title in his fourth tour-level championship match. The 31-year-old lifted his maiden ATP Tour title at the 2010 St. Petersburg Open (d. Youzhny), before final losses at the 2013 VTB Kremlin Cup (l. to Gasquet) and the 2015 Sydney International (l. to Troicki).

"I was solid all week," said Kukushkin. "I did not drop a set before the final... I played a really good level of tennis. Of course, it is one of the best weeks of my life. Unfortunately, I was not able to win today, but this week, the way I played, was one of the best of my tennis career."

Kukushkin gains 150 ATP Ranking points and earns €47,105. Tsitsipas collects 250 ATP Ranking points and receives €89,435 in prize money.

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Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin captured their second ATP Tour team title on Sunday, defeating Ben McLachlan and Matwe Middelkoop 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-3 to win the Open 13 Provence.

The French duo landed 12 aces and saved all three break points it faced to claim victory after 77 minutes. Adding to their maiden trophy from the 2017 Qatar ExxonMobil Open (d. Pospisil/Stepanek), Chardy and Martin are the 12th all-French team to triumph in Marseille since the tournament began in 1993.

"It feels great to win a title at home in France in front of our families and friends. It is a first for us," said Chardy.

This is Chardy's sixth ATP Tour doubles title. The 32-year-old picked up his fifth tour-level doubles crown last week in Rotterdam, alongside Henri Kontinen, at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Lifting his first ATP Tour doubles trophy since his title run with Chardy in Doha two years ago, Martin adds a fourth title to his collection. The 32-year-old has won all of his tour-level trophies on hard courts.

"We served very well during the whole match," said Chardy. "When Fabrice serves like [he did] today, it is almost impossible to break him. He also [hit] three great returns during the Match Tie-break."

"The goal is to be able to play together during the clay season," said Martin.

McLachlan and Middelkoop were bidding to lift their first team title in their third tournament appearance as a team. The third seeds played well under pressure in Marseille, surviving two Match Tie-breaks to reach the championship match.

Chardy and Martin collect 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points and split €37,820 in prize money. McLachlan and Middelkoop earn 150 points and share €19,380.

Watch as Laslo Djere beats Felix Auger-Aliassime for the 2019 Rio Open presented by Claro title. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.

Laslo Djere shows off his speed and soft hands against Felix Auger-Aliassime on Sunday during the Rio Open presented by Claro final. Watch live tennis at tennistv.com.