GSTAAD, Switzerland — In his first tour-level final at age 28, Pedro Cachin won his first title Sunday by beating Albert Ramos-Vinolas 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 at the Swiss Open then shared victory kisses courtside with his pet dog.
A tearful Cachin shared a courtside hug with his partner then smooches with their French bulldog who also was at the match sitting in the family section.
“Thank you [to] my girlfriend, sister and my dog, of course,” Cachin said in his trophy acceptance speech, referring to his pet Tango, named for the signature dance of his native Argentina. “They are coming from Barcelona [Saturday] night, so it was a long drive but it was an unbelievable drive.”
After having his service broken to lose the first set, Cachin reeled off eight straight games during which the 35-year-old Ramos-Vinolas sought treatment for his bandaged left foot.
Cachin let slip a 4-3 lead with a service break up in the deciding set but broke again to lead 6-5 because of wayward forehands from Ramos-Vinolas.
The 90th-ranked Argentine clinched the title at sun-bathed Gstaad in the Swiss Alps with a double-handed backhand for a cross-court winner.
Cachin celebrated by falling to the ground and lying on his back as the first tears flowed. He rose with red dust caked on his white T-shirt.
The victory will lift Cachin toward a career-best ranking of No. 54 he reached last year. His career was slowed by neck and ankle injuries, and he entered the top 100 for the first time one year ago.
A clay-court specialist, Cachin has six career titles on the second-tier Challenger tour, and his debut win at ATP level also was secured on his favored surface.
Cachin’s previous match before coming to Gstaad was on the grass of Wimbledon’s Centre Court, where Novak Djokovic beat him in straight sets in the first round.
Ramos-Vinolas broke Cachin’s serve twice in the first set that the left-hander clinched with a strong service return to his opponent’s feet advancing to the net.
Ramos-Vinolas’ record in tour finals dropped to 4-8. All of the 79th-ranked Spaniard’s titles were won on clay, including at Gstaad in 2019.