Former junior world No. 1 Thiago Agustin Tirante made the first big step in his transition to the professional realm after beating Poland’s Wojciech Marek to claim his first career singles title on the ITF World Tennis Tour at M15 Monastir.

In a final between two 19-year-old players both seeking a first professional singles title, the Argentine prevailed 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 6-3 in a near three-hour battle to achieve an emotional maiden triumph. 

"I feel very happy and with enormous satisfaction for having won my first tournament on the professional circuit," said Tirante in an interview with Argentine media outlet El Dia.

"A lot crossed my mind (after securing the title). My family, the sacrifice I have been making, playing with the uncertainty of the pandemic... but what I will never forget about this day, which will be marked in my memory, is the fact of having won my first professional title."

Tirante enjoyed a hugely successful end to his junior career last year, ending the season on an 18-match winning streak that took in three consecutive tournament victories and saw him named ITF World Champion in the boys’ category.

The Argentine, who described 2019 as an “important year because I learned how to play under pressure”, appears to be reaping the benefits of that mindset. He coasted through the field in Monastir without dropping a set until the final, before clinching the title after battling past a familiar foe in Marek, who he also defeated in the junior days.

One of the first players from Argentina to return to action following the suspension of the tour, Tirante has based himself at the Padova Tennis Club in Italy in order to make the most of the opportunity for regular competition on the ITF World Tennis Tour - a move that has paid dividends.

"I think moving to Italy well in advance was a great success," he admitted. "That helped me to take a much faster pace with training and the first tournaments [after the resumption of the Tour in August], something that in Argentina I could not do because of the restrictions due to the pandemic."

Meanwhile, while runner-up Marek may have missed out on his first pro singles crown, Poland could celebrate a men’s champion over the weekend as his compatriot Kacper Zuk won his third ITF singles title of the season after seeing off Chun Hsin Tseng in the final at M25 Hamburg.

The 21-year-old old Pole, who has three singles and three doubles titles to his name on the ITF World Tennis Tour this year, defeated Tseng – another former junior world No. 1 -  6-4 7-6(4) in the final to collect a sixth professional singles title overall.

In the other men’s tournament to take place on the ITF World Tennis Tour last week, Dutchman Gijs Brouwer claimed his first singles title since 2018 – and the fourth of his career - after defeating Ukrainian Vladyslav Orlov in the final at M15 Sharm El Sheikh.