Gael Monfils has won his first ATP title in more than two years, surviving a match point and breaking Ivo Karlovic twice in the span of four service games to run out a 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 winner in the Citi Open final.
The French second seed prevented the 37-year-old Karlovic from becoming the oldest man since 1973 to win ATP singles tournaments in consecutive weeks.
The 13th-seeded Croatian had won all 53 of his service games in the tournament prior to being broken while serving for the championship at 5-4 in the second set.
"To be honest, today was pure luck," Monfils said.
The Frenchman did well to figure out a way to neutralise the big serve of the 6-foot-11 Karlovic.
"Normally I should have (won). I was better in the first two sets, and I didn't use my opportunity," Karlovic said.
"And then after that, I was dead. I couldn't move anymore."
Monfils had lost 19 of 24 career finals, and eight of his past nine.
But this time he earned $US348,200 ($A467,000) in prize money for his first title since February 2014 at Montpellier, France, and the most important of his career - his first at an ATP 500 tournament, which refers to the ranking points the champion collects.
He noted that he was proud to join Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah whose names are etched on the blue awnings around the main stadium as winners of the tournament.
"They've been an inspiration for me," Monfils said.
"I grew up with those names. Definitely to have my name next to them, it's priceless."
