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Tennis: Diego Schwartzman wins Rio Open

WION Web Team
Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUpdated: Feb 26, 2018, 03:24 AM IST
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Argentina's Diego Schwartzman (L) and Spain's Fernando Verdasco (R) hold up their trophies after their ATP World Tour Rio Open singles final. Photograph:(AFP)

Argentina's Diego Schwartzman won the biggest title of his career Sunday, defeating Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the clay court Rio de Janeiro Open.

It was sixth-seeded Schwartzman's first tournament win on the ATP world circuit since Istanbul's clay championship in 2016.

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The 25-year-old, one of the shortest players on the tour at 1.75m (5ft 7ins) bettered his veteran rival Verdasco, 34, and jumped in the rankings from 23 to 18 -- his first taste of the top 20. 

Verdasco, seeded eighth, had been hoping to get his first title since Bucharest in 2016 but was let down by errors throughout the match.