Jannik Sinner, Australian Open winner, won his first title in Rotterdam on Sunday, dismantling the determined defense of Australian Alex De Minaur to win 7-5, 6-4 in a high quality match.
The victory extended the Italian's unbeaten streak to 15 matches and allowed him to reach the 3rd world rank, a record.
"We did a very good job a few weeks ago and now we have done a very, very good job here," said Sinner, referring to his triumph in the Australian Open.
"I am really proud of my level of play throughout this week. We were in a difficult situation but we managed it in the right way," he added.
De Minaur, the number 5 seed, had never beaten Sinner in six previous attempts, but entered the match beating his drum and resisted his opponent from the very first exchanges.
Sinner's consistency and power from both sides eventually broke through De Minaur's defense and the Italian took the opponent's service at 2-2 after breathtaking exchanges.
De Minaur took back the service in the 10th game, having saved two set balls with extraordinary recoveries.
A long exchange at the end of the game left Sinner out of breath after diving at the volley to try to intercept a powerful backhand from his opponent.
Sinner quickly regained his confidence and got his own break balls in the next game, converting the second as De Minaur had imprudently let a volley pass that landed on the baseline.
Serving a second time for the set, Sinner made no mistake this time, concluding the set to the delight of a delirious crowd in Rotterdam.
"It's very hard to play against you. It's better when we're on the same side in doubles," Sinner joked.
De Minaur's run to the final included a thrilling semi-final against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, which he described as his "best match on the circuit."
"I jokingly asked him if he was going to lose a match this year. He's playing at an incredible level and it's just too good. I'll pay you back next time!" De Minaur said.
De Minaur said he had taken "another big step in the right direction" and promised to "fight for bigger and better things."
Sinner's path to the final was serene, with veteran Canadian Milos Raonic, plagued with injuries, dropping out early in the second set in the quarterfinals, and then a calm victory over local Tallon Griekspoor in the semi-finals.
Rotterdam 
