At 30, Marcos Giron is playing the best tennis of his career. On Sunday, the American veteran claimed his first ATP Tour title, beating #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen 6-7(4), 6-3, 7-5 at the Hall of Fame Open in Newport.

In a thrilling final, Giron saved a match point with an ace at 4-5, 30/40 in the deciding set and sealed his victory with his 13th ace of the match.

“Better late than never. We’ll take it!” Giron said, laughing. “There are so many people I can thank and I couldn’t be happier to have them in my life. Family, coaches, friends. For that, it’s really special to me, but also for all their help and support over the years.”

The former UCLA star, who underwent surgery on his right hip in December 2015 and another on his left hip in February 2016, previously reached two ATP Tour finals, two years ago in San Diego and earlier this season in Dallas. After a gruelling two-hour, 37-minute battle against the 19-year-old Michelsen, Giron can now proudly call himself a tour-level champion.

A pivotal moment for Giron came when he was serving at 2-3 in the deciding set. Facing break point, the new No. 38 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings hit a fearless forehand winner to stay out of trouble.

Michelsen, serving for the championship at 4-5, was faced with an irreversible ace from Giron on the T. The second-seeded Giron saved eight of the nine break points he faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats. He won 82 percent of his first-serve points and hit 41 winning points in total.

“Honestly, Alex, incredible tournament, incredible match,” Giron praised his young compatriot. “It’s unreal, 19 (years old). We practiced together. On the court he’s so mature, he’s so good. He has such a bright future. I’m happy to win now!”

Michelsen, who did not lose a serve en route to the final, was making his second consecutive championship match in Newport. Last year, at age 18, he reached the final of the ATP 250 event without having won a tour-level match before.

The teenager was aiming to become the youngest American ATP Tour champion since Andy Roddick in 2002, but fell just short. Still, his future in the sport looks incredibly bright.

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