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Nice - Nicolas Almagro of Spain won his third title this year when he rallied past Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3 in the Open de Nice final on Saturday.
Almagro added to his consecutive titles in February in Costa do Sauipe and Buenos Aires to reach 10 in his career on the ATP Tour. He also made the final in Acapulco. Of his 31 wins on tour this season, 24 have been on clay.
In the final set against Hanescu, the third-seeded Almagro hit a backhand winner down the line to set up a break point that he converted with an inside-out forehand winner for a 4-2 lead.
Almagro slammed two aces in a row to win the match and complete the perfect preparation for the French Open that begins Sunday.
In the opening set, the unseeded Hanescu took Almagro's serve at 5-5 but Almagro cracked a crosscourt forehand winner in the next game to force a tiebreaker. Hanescu hit a forehand volley to earn a set point that he converted when Almagro netted a backhand.
Almagro cut his unforced errors in half from 20 in the first set to 10 in the second as Hanescu dropped serve in the fifth game by sending a backhand long. Almagro leveled at one set apiece on an unforced error from the 69th-ranked Hanescu.
The Spaniard improved to 4-0 against Hanescu.
