TENNIS ROUNDUP : Hard-Serving Becker Beats Volkov for Rotterdam Title

Boris Becker had nine aces in scoring a 7-6 (11-9), 4-6, 6-2 victory over Alexander Volkov of Russia for the championship of the ABN-AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Sunday.

The 24-year-old German’s 32nd title probably will lift his world ranking from fourth to third.

Becker hadn’t lost a set before the final in the one-week, $525,000 tournament. He earned $68,400.

Volkov led early in the first set, until Becker, whose fastest serve was timed at 121 m.p.h., pulled even at 6-6, leading to the long tiebreaker. Volkov lost six set points before Becker won the tie-breaker on his first set point.

Volkov dominated the second set, then Becker took a 4-1 lead in the third set and coasted to victory.

Stefano Pescosolido of Italy won his first ATP Tour title with a 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 victory over Brad Gilbert in a $260,000 tournament at Scottsdale, Ariz.

Pescosolido, 20, in his second year on the tour, won $33,800, his largest paycheck ever. He hit 30 winners to Gilbert’s 15 and forced 29 errors.

Gilbert attacked his opponent’s backhand, but had little luck coming to the net, being passed repeatedly.

Gilbert turned the tables in the second set. Pescosolido made two unforced backhand errors and one forehand error from the baseline in the opening game of the second set. Gilbert broke the Italian’s serve and rallied to even the match.

But Pescosolido took the advantage at the start of the final set. At 0-40 in the opening game, a net cord fell in Pescosolido’s favor to give him a break of Gilbert’s serve.

En route to the final, Pescosolido defeated Amos Mansdorf of Israel, Maurice Ruah of Venezuela, Cristiano Caratti of Italy and Andrei Chesnokov of Russia.