Tennis Roundup : Gilbert Sweeps Past Pugh in Vermont

Brad Gilbert, after trailing 2-5 in the first set, did not lose another game en route to a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Jim Pugh in the final of the Volvo International tennis tournament Sunday at Stratton Mountain, Vt.

Gilbert, seeded third, rebounded after double-faulting twice to lose the seventh game of the first set. The victory gave him his second singles title this year, the 14th of his career and the $114,000 first prize.

“I’m playing well right now, and I’m just hopeful of gearing up for the U.S. Open, which is the most important tournament for me,” said Gilbert, who hoisted his 8-month-old son Zachary above his shoulders after winning the match.

It snapped a 10-match winning streak for Pugh, of Palos Verdes, who gained his first singles title three weeks ago in Newport, R.I.

“I was down a break in the third in my first match and my second match,” Pugh said. “I feel very fortunate to have made it this far, so I’m not that upset.”

With the tournament marked by upsets, particularly to top-seeded Andre Agassi and No. 2 Michael Chang, Gilbert coasted through his first five matches without dropping a set or facing a seeded player until meeting No. 14 Pugh in the final.

Pugh, who earned $57,000, started well, breaking Gilbert’s serve in the third and seventh games.

Pugh netted a backhand to go to break point in the next game, and although he warded that one off, he was broken on another netted backhand.

Gilbert remembered the point.

“I hit a backhand angle that I thought was going a couple feet wide, and then all of a sudden, he wasn’t sure,” he said. “He hit it, and hit it into the net. That really helped. I got a big break.”

Meanwhile, Gilbert switched to a more aggressive forehand that forced Pugh into errors.

Said Pugh: “I felt like I got maybe a little physically tired after playing so many tough matches and the doubles matches.”

Losing only one set throughout the $350,000 tournament, Emilio Sanchez of Spain defeated Martin Jaite of Argentina, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, to gain the title at Kitzbuhel, Austria.

After both players held service throughout the first set, Sanchez won the last point of the tiebreaker on an ace.

In the opening game of the fourth set, Sanchez had to fend off three break points. Then he quickly broke Jaite’s serve.

Fifth-seeded Paolo Cane of Italy edged Bruno Oresar of Yugoslavia, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-5), to win the final of a $305,000 tournament at Bastad, Sweden.

Cane, seeded fifth, became the first Italian winner of this clay-court tournament since Corrado Barazzutti in 1977.