Ernests Gulbis Notches First ATP Tour Title

Is tennis prodigy Ernests Gulbis about to turn the corner and challenge the top ten? Gulbis notched his first tournament title yesterday, winning the Delray Beach championship. Winning a single, Masters 250 event is less notable than how Gulbis won: He beat the best server in tennis, 6 ft 10 in Ivo Karlovic, the tour leader in aces, by outright attacking his first serve.

I've never seen anyone do more than block back Karlovic's bombs, but Gulbis simply abused them. 

Gulbis broke Karlovic's serve in 4 of 9 return games, getting two breaks in each set of a 6-2, 6-3 victory. 

Gulbis' remarkable vision and reflexes were on display, along with tremendous racket-head speed. 

He didn't just block back the serves and beat Karlovic in a rally, Gulbis hit outright winners from both forehand- and backhand-wings, off high, kicking 130+ MPH serves that go for aces against most players. 

Karlovic still got 14 aces. But it appeared that Gulbis, who sees the ball early, was reading Karlovic's serve and stepping in to take them on the rise, inside the baseline. If he read it right, he ripped it; if not, he got aced. Subtract the aces and Gulbis won 14 out of 29 first serves he touched. 

Gulbis also won 19 out of 26 second-serve return points. 

Is this a blip at a minor event, or is Gulbis truly about to live up to his potential? Karlovic thinks so, "He was very cool, calm. Nothing could impress him. This year is going to be his breakthrough."