VTR Open 2012: Juan Monaco Wins First Title Since 2007

In the last five years, Roger Federer has won six Grand Slam titles. In the last five years, Novak Djokovic went 71-6 in a single season.

In the last five years, Juan Monaco hadn't won a single ATP title. The Argentine-native had made seven finals without winning a title. That all changed Sunday.

Monaco raised his first trophy since 2007 when he won the final round of the VTR Open in Vina del Mar, Chile. Monaco defeated No. 7 seeded Carlos Berlocq in three sets, dropping the middle set which was pushed to a tiebreaker. The final score was 6-3, 6-7(1), 6-1. Monaco was the tournament's No. 1 seed.

In 2007, Monaco won three titles that year, all on clay. The VTR Open was also played on clay. He had finished as the runner up twice in Chile in 2008 and again in 2010.

"Third time is lucky they say, so this time it's true," Monaco joked to the ATP.

Monaco made the finals round after defeating Jeremy Chardy of France, 6-1, 6-4. Berlocq had made the finals after he defeated the tournament's No. 2 seed Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3. 4-6, 6-0. Berlocq's finals round appearance is the first in his ATP career. Before the start of the final match, he had only dropped a single set in the tournament.

Monaco had only one match under his name for the 2012 season coming into the VTR Open. He had an early exit in the year's opening Grand Slam to Philipp Kohlschreiber in a five-set first-round loss. He is now 4-1.

"I'm very happy to be champion again," Monaco said. "I lost the last seven finals, so this is a very special moment for me."