Djokovic grinds out first title win

AMERSFOORT (Netherlands): Serbian teenager Novak Djokovic lifted his first ATP career title after edging out Chilean Nicolas Massu 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 in a hard-fought final on Sunday.

In a match lasting two hours 19 minutes, the 19-year-old third seed finally prevailed over the experience of the 27-year-old fourth seed who was chasing his seventh ATP title after winning at Amersfoort in 2003.

The Serbian righthander started well by breaking Massu's serve to lead 4-1 in the first set although the Chilean managed to claw back to set up the tie-break.

Despite erratic serving in the second set when he missed more than half his first serves, Massu broke the Serbian to take the lead at the half-way mark.

But Djokovic rallied to blitz the four next games and served strongly in the last to clinch the match.

The Serbian's run to the final was eased by his semi-final opponent, the top-seeded Argentine Guillermo Coria, retiring with a right shoulder injury as he trailed 6-2, 1-0 to Djokovic.

The 19-year-old signalled he was a force to be reckoned with by reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open last month.

Starting the year at No. 78 in the ATP rankings, Djokovic moved to No. 36, one spot ahead of Massu, on the back of his Paris outing and spots in the Zagreb semi-finals and Rotterdam quarter-finals.