Grigor Dimitrov defeated Holger Rune 7-6(5) 6-4 in the Brisbane International final on Sunday in Australia.
Dimitrov, a champion in Brisbane back in 2017 – the same year he was a semi-finalist at the Australian Open – reached the final with a win on Saturday against Jordan Thompson, who beat Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.
The 20-year-old Rune, the No. 1 seed at the tournament, defeated Roman Safiullin in his previous match as he looked to prepare for the upcoming Grand Slam, where his best performance was a quarter-final finish last year.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian might have been the underdog but he was in better form when it mattered, and he edged the first set as he used his experience to take the lead on a tie-break.
He continued to press Rune, recovering from a mid-point slip early in the second set to stay in contention.
A break of serve allowed him to move 5-3 ahead and just a game from victory, in what would be his first ATP title since 2017, when he won the season-ending ATP Final in one of the best years of his career.
