Hubert Hurkacz notched his first career tour-level title Saturday when he knocked off top-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to win the Winston-Salem Open in rainy North Carolina.
Hurkacz became the first Polish player to win a tour event since Wojtek Fibak at Chicago in 1982. The third-seeded Hurkacz had 17 winners -- including six aces -- and overcame 25 unforced errors while becoming the 14th first-time winner on the ATP Tour this season.
Paire served 10 aces among his 39 winners but was plagued by 46 errors, 28 of which came on his forehand. He had six double faults compared to four for Hurkacz during a two-hour, nine-minute match in which humidity reached up to 97 percent.
Hurkacz sailed through the first set but Paire recovered for a strong second set in which he posted six of his aces. There was a brief rain delay prior to the third set, and the two players split the first four games of the final set before Hurkacz pulled away.
Paire was looking for his third title of the season. He earlier won at Marrakech and Lyon.
--Field Level Media
