Washington: David Nalbandian of Argentina beat eighth-seeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic final on Sunday, becoming the first player ranked outside the top 100 to win an ATP title this year.
Nalbandian needed a wild-card invitation to get into the field because he is ranked 117th after missing about 12 of the past 15 months because of hip surgery and a left hamstring injury. He hadn't played in a tournament since April.
But Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up, was dominant all week, winning 12 of 13 sets. His returning was particularly effective, and he broke four of the first seven times Baghdatis served.
It's Nalbandian's 11th career title, but his first on U.S. soil — and first anywhere since January 2009.
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