Darcis Wins Dutch Open For His First ATP Title

Sunday, July 22nd 2007, 2:25 pm

By: News On 6

AMERSFOORT, Netherlands (AP) -- Belgian qualifier Steve Darcis won his first ATP title by beating unseeded Werner Eschauer 6-1, 7-6 (1) Sunday to become the first Belgian to win the Dutch Open in nearly 50 years.

Darcis, ranked 297th, had lost the two ATP-level matches he had played before this week.

The 23-year-old Belgian becomes one of the lowest ranked tournament champions. Lleyton Hewitt, the lowest ranked winner since 1985, was 550th when he won the 1998 Adelaide title in Australia.

The 33-year-old Eschauer was trying to become the oldest first-time winner on the tour since 2005, when Wayne Arthurs won in Scottsdale, Ariz., at 33.

Belgian Jacky Brichant won the clay-court tournament in 1959.