Fifth-seeded Bigun saved all four break points he faced in the opening game of the second set, setting the tone for a shift in power in the contest. He soon broke for 3-1 and never looked back.
After forcing a decider the Los Angeles resident broke again for 2-1 in the final set and made it stand up the rest of the way despite Berkieta’s best efforts to stage another remarkable comeback.
The Pole saved a trio of match points with Bigun serving at 5-3, but the American was up to the task on the fourth. He fell to his knees in victory on the clay to soak up the moment before sharing an amiable hug and a few words with Berkieta.
“It means a lot,” Bigun said. “I don’t really play on red clay a good amount, and I don’t think Americans have been known to specialize in the red clay.
“Obviously if you won a tournament the week before you come in with a good amount of confidence and kind of seasoned in the match play and competing. So I knew what I had to do and how I wanted to play on the court.”
Schwaerzler and Budkov Kjaer take doubles
Austria’s Joel Schwaerzler, coached by Jurgen Melzer, and Oslo-born Nicolai Budkov Kjaer claimed the doubles title, 6-4, 7-6(3) over Italy’s Federico Cina and Japan’s Rai Sakamoto.