STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- It took 10 months and five sets, but Sjeng Schalken finally won his first ATP title of the year Sunday at the $800,000 indoor Stockholm Open.
Schalken, the sixth seed, fired 19 aces to eventually overpower Finnish qualifier Jarkko Nieminen, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, and collect the $109,000 top prize at the hardcourt tournament.
The Dutchman lifted his sixth career trophy and extended his run of winning at least one title to three straight years, having triumphed at Aucklund in 1999 and Tokyo last year.
Schalken, 25, lost his only previous finals appearance in 2001, falling to American Andy Roddick in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at Washington in August.
Nieminen, who had not won an ATP match before this week, failed to become the first player from Finland to win a tour title.
The 20-year-old lefthander still registered the first finals appearance by a Finn in almost 20 years. Leo Palin lost his final to Ricky Meyer in Sofia, Bulgaria on December 20, 1981.
Due to this week's performance, Nieminen will become just the fifth player from Finland to crack the ATP top 100 when the rankings are released on Monday.
Nieminen beat three-time champion Thomas Enqvist of Sweden on Saturday to advance to the championship match. He also eliminated reigning champion and local favorite Thomas Johansson on Friday. Nieminen did not drop a set until the final, including three qualifying matches.
