Ram went up an early break in the second set, but Querrey hit a backhand victor down the line to break back to level at 2-2 and they battled into the tie-breaker.
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However, Querrey unleashed a running forehand that whizzed past a stunned Ram and scraped off the baseline. “It barely caught so I was pretty stoked. You can’t give me that and be wrong”.
It was the eighth career title for 61st-ranked Querrey, but his first since Los Angeles in 2012. I’m so glad to be able to play another match.
Rajeev Ram, left, shakes hands with Sam Querrey, right, after their match at the Delray Beach Open t …
Ram broke serve in the first game of both sets and also led 40-15 while serving at 4-5 in the first.
After admitting to a bout of nerves during his three-set quarterfinal win over Benjamin Becker, the 31-year-old Ram played what he called “two of the best sets of tennis I’ve ever played”. But I’m really enjoying playing tennis again. “Sometimes it takes people a little bit longer to figure it out”, said Ram, who will zoom to a career-best 62nd in the rankings.
“With the windy conditions, the only thing you can do is to stay focused”, Dimitrov said. “Hopefully, I’m going towards reaching my potential”.
Ram admitted later that the comment made him laugh out loud.
After Del Potro’s announcement on a comeback on tour in Delray Beach, tennis world was excited and happy to see him back. “It’s like [Grigor Dimitrov] is to Roger Federer, Raj is to Sampras”.
U.S. wildcard Tim Smyczek rallied to upset United States seventh seed Donald Young 1-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, setting up a quarter-final matchup against another compatriot, Sam Querrey.
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Despite not making the final, 2011 Delray Beach champion Del Potro performed well in his four matches – the same number he played in the whole of 2015. Dimitrov, who won the most recent of his four career ATP titles in 2014 at Queen’s, seeks his second final of the year after falling to Viktor Troicki in last month’s Sydney championship match.
