Monaco put the South Americans ahead by battling to a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Sam Querrey, and Zeballos sealed the victory in the best-of-three series when he overcame Robby Ginepri 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-5.

The Argentines' second win over United States in 11 meetings in the competition gave them their first title since 1997. The Americans were seeking their fifth title and first since 1993.

Querrey took the first set in 24 minutes after breaking in the opening game.

Monaco responded by breaking to start the second set, saving a break point in the next game and then breaking again to lead 3-0.

After exchanging breaks early in the final set, Monaco broke again to lead 4-3. He then saved five break points to hold for 5-3 before a further break gave him victory.

Zeballos failed to convert a match point in the second set. In the decider, he broke for the first time to close out the match.


In Nice, France, Richard Gasquet of France edged Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5) in a thrilling Open de Nice final on Saturday for his sixth career title and first since 2007.

Aiming for his second title on home soil, Gasquet trailed 4-1 in the deciding set and asked the trainer twice to massage his fatigued legs.

"I was very close to losing," Gasquet told Sport Plus television. "I was extremely tired in the third set. I had pain in my knees." The unseeded Gasquet broke to trail 4-3 on a wide backhand from the second-seeded Verdasco, who swore loudly in Spanish at the changeover.

In the next game, just after Gasquet hit a double fault, Verdasco antagonized the French crowd that was booing him by raising his arms in the air as if asking for more jeers.

Verdasco broke Gasquet for 5-3 but failed to serve out the match. Gasquet finally overtook Verdasco in the tiebreaker after 2 hours, 38 minutes.

A former top-10 player, the 68th-ranked Gasquet was looking to get back to his best level after his career was hit by a suspension last year for testing positive for cocaine.

"I'm really very happy," Gasquet said. "It's my sixth title. It's been a long time since I've won a tournament of that caliber." His previous triumph was at Mumbai in 2007.

Gasquet will meet Andy Murray next week in what looks on paper like the most exciting first-round encounter of the French Open.

The Frenchman took Verdasco's serve in the sixth game and did not allow any break chances in grabbing the first set with a forehand winner.

Verdasco netted an approach shot to hand Gasquet a 5-4 lead in the second set, but the Frenchman failed to serve out, letting Verdasco immediately break back. Verdasco then hit two forehand winners in a row to level at one set apiece.

Verdasco was trying to win his sixth career title and third this year.
 

In Strasbourgh, Maria Sharapova won her 22nd career title following a two-month layoff with a right elbow injury when she beat Kristina Barrois of Germany 7-5, 6-1 in the Strasbourg International final on Saturday.

The title was also only Sharapova's second on clay and a boost on the eve of the French Open, where she's reached one semifinal and three quarterfinals.

Sharapova lost her first match in two months last week in Madrid, then accepted a late wild card to be the top seed in Strasbourg, where she rolled all the way to her second title of the season.

Sharapova trailed 5-3 in the first set then adjusted after a chat with her coach Michael Joyce during a changeover and won seven straight games.

The Russian broke Barrois, a first-time finalist, twice more in the second set and closed it with a backhand winner.