Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany won the Dusseldorf title on Saturday after the top-seed outlasted Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-2, 7-6 in the final.
“It was great that I could handle the pressure as top seed,” Kohlschreiber told ATP World Tour online. “I had some tough and tricky opponents this week, so I am very happy to have won. I gained a lot of confidence. I play some of my best tennis in Germany, where I have great support. The crowd gave me extra motivation and helped me when I got nervous.”
The 29th-ranked German got €77,315 in prize money plus 250 ranking points. Karlovic received €40,720 and 150 ranking points.
“I was lucky to guess the right sides, the right corners on his serve,” said Kohlschreiber. “I had a pretty good feeling, so after the second break I knew the first set was mine.
“After I got the break [in the second set], I possibly thought too much about winning the title. I got a little bit nervous, but I came back very strong in the tie-break. I got lucky at the end, when he missed a forehand close to the line.”
