By Bill Scott Nov 1, 2009, 14:24 GMT
Vienna - Jurgen Melzer ended a home Vienna victory drought stretching back more than two decades Sunday, upsetting top seed Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3 to earn the title at the Bank Austria Trophy.
The elated 28-year-old claimed his second career title in the wake of clay honours in 2006 in Bucharest.
But his feat in just over 90 minutes also made him the first local player to win Vienna since Horst Skoff in 1988, who defeated Thomas Muster.
Muster was the last Austrian into the final at the Stadthalle, where he lost in 1995 to Filip Dewulf of Belgium.
Melzer was dazzled by his accomplishment. 'This is unbelievable,' said the seventh seed, now 36-29 on the season.
'I'm really just so pleased to be able to win it at home. I'm really happy. This is the best thing to happen to me in my career.
'I'm ending my season really well, I'll be in the Top 30 by the end of the year,' said the number 35.
A sellout crowd played in Melzer's favour in a victory which left Cilic with plenty to make up if he's to compete for a long-odds shot at one of two spots remaining in the season-ending event in London from November 22.
Melzer managed just one ace to 10 from his big-hitting opponent, but did save all five break point she faced while breaking Cilic three times, including in the dramatic final game.
In that closing chapter, Cilic recovered after trailing 0-30, and then saved two match points - the second with an ace - before losing serve to end it with a forehand error.
Cilic needs a massive effort now to improve on his provisional 12th standing for the World Tour Finals. He stands a massive 800 point behind Fernando Verdasco, eighth in the provisional listing.
'I really have to produce something for the rest of the season,' said the 13th-ranked Croatian, winning of 2009 titles in Chennai and Zagreb.
'I have a lot of things to improve in my game, just about everything. These last two weeks will be very important for me. really want to do everything to try and get to London.'
Both men travel to Basel next week for the Swiss Indoors which marks the return to competition of Roger Federer after six weeks off to rest and recover from a long mid-season.
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