Munich, Germany (SportsNetwork.com) - Martin Klizan rallied for a three-set win over Fabio Fognini to capture the title at the BWM Open on Sunday.
Klizan earned a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory in the final for his second career ATP World Tour title and first since also beating Fognini for the St. Petersburg crown in October 2012.
The world No. 111 from Slovakia had to qualify for the main draw and became the first qualifier to win a tournament since Nicolas Mahut last June in Den Bosch. He is also the first player ranked outside the top 100 to win a title since No. 155 Ivo Karlovic last year in Bogota.
"To come through qualifying -- playing eight matches in nine days -- is tough," said Klizan. "It is difficult to be fit every day. I beat many good players, from (Mikhail) Youzhny to Tommy (Haas). I am very proud of myself that it ended happily. I think I slept only 30 minutes last night and I am now very tired."
After suffering through a difficult first set that required treatment for an injury after the fifth game, Klizan simply dominated and finished the match in a mere 89 minutes. He improved to 2-0 lifetime in finals.
Fognini fell to 3-5 in title matches, including 1-2 this year. He beat Leonardo Mayer in the final at Vina del Mar in February and lost to David Ferrer in the Buenos Aires final a week later.
"It was a great week to have reached a final," said Fognini. "I will keep working hard to try and break into the top 10. I have done well this year."
Two of the top-seeded Italian's three titles have come in Germany, as he won last year in Stuttgart and Hamburg. He also dropped to 3-2 lifetime against Klizan, who claimed a first prize of $107,000.
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