BASTAD, Sweden -- French teenager Thierry Tulasne, using aggressive backcourt groundstrokes, raced to his first grand prix title Monday with a 6-3, 6-2 trouncing of Sweden's Anders Jarryd in the $75,000 Swedish Open Championships.
Lena Sandeen of Sweden, the strong favorite, captured the women's single title 6-2, 7-6, against another Swede, Catrin Jexell.
But the men's final was a disappointment to the home crowd, with Jarryd, 20, playing below his best form.
The 18-year-old Frenchman lost command only once, when the Swede broke service to lead 2-1 in the first set. But from then on, Tulasne dominated.
He took a 3-1 lead in the second set before Jarryd desperately tried to attack every shot at the net only to be passed again and again by Tulasne's steady groundstrokes.
The Frenchman's 70-minute victory climaxed a tournament in which he did not drop a set.
'I rely too much on my ground strokes,' he said. 'They won me the match against Jarryd today but I must try to improve my serve and volley.'
Jarryd, ranked fourth in Sweden, said he was helpless.
'Tulasne gave me no chance,' Jarryd said. 'He played such steady and efficient tennis there was little I could do about it. I was especially impressed by his excellent passing shots.'
Tulasne, who defeated world star Vitas Terolaitis in Rome, looks to be a tremendous prospect. He was voted world junior champion last year.
He promised tournament director Lennart Larsson he would return next year to defend his title, which brought him $15,000.
'All the public appreciated his fine game and nice behavior on court,' Larssen said.
Jarryd picked up a $7,500 consolation prize.
The women's final was tougher than the 6-2, 7-6 score suggested. Junior player Catrin Jexell had two set points at 6-5 in the second set after a nervous Lena Sandeen played consecutive double faults.
But the experience of the 20-year-old Sandeen, Sweden's No. 2 ranked player, allowed her to scramble out of trouble to take the tiebreaker with 7-4.
