Prakash Amritraj takes a long dive for a volley in the second set of yesterday’s match.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

NEWPORT –– Two points from the singles final of the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championship yesterday illustrate the gulf between the defending champ, Fabrice Santoro, and the runner-up, Prakash Amritraj.

Down a set and serving at 5-5, 15-0, Amritraj pinned Santoro to the baseline with a deep shot to the deuce court, and Santoro hit a weak defensive lob. Amritraj leaped for the overhead, but instead of hitting a winner he smashed a wild overhead off the fence beyond the baseline.

Four points later, after Amritraj double-faulted at 30-30, Santoro launched an offensive lob to the corner of the ad court. Amritraj raced back, caught up with the ball and hit a return. Santoro had come to the net and dumped a forehand volley into the open court for the break that put him ahead, 6-5.

“When he hit the backhand, and I had the drop volley to make, I knew it was the point of the match,” Santoro said. “I would say put the volley in the court, should be OK.”

A wild overhead and a poised volley. That’s why, four points later, after serving a love game, Santoro raised his hands in triumph in a 6-3, 7-5 victor before a crowd of 3,222 at the Newport Casino. He became the third player in the tournament’s 32-year history to win consecutive titles, after Bryan Shelton in 1991-92 and Greg Rusedski in 2004-2005, and at 35, the oldest champion in tournament history, breaking the record he set last year. He is only the second player since 1990 to win an ATP tournament after turning 35. Andre Agassi won in Los Angeles in 2005.

“It means I’m very lucky,” Santoro said of winning tournaments at an age when most players have moved on to a second career.

“I think it’s not only luck. I think I show the same energy and sensation of the game now as 5, 10 or 15 years ago. Even more, maybe now. When I play a tournament here and I make some good shots, even if I’m 35 and almost 36 years old, I feel like a kid. I feel like a junior on the court. I’m enjoying and just very happy to be on the court,” he said.

“And to win the title . . . when I have the trophy in between my hands, I can’t imagine I won one more title. When you start to play at 16 years old, never, never can you imagine that 20 years later you are going to win a title. Never. I played French Open in 1989, and 20 years later, I win a title. It’s impossible to predict.”

Santoro got off to a rough start, losing his serve in the first game but not because of anything he did. Amritraj was just too good, hitting a forehand return winner on the first point and an overhead winner on the second and making a diving forehand volley at break point.

“He played too good . . . . He played unbelievable,” the champion said.

But Santoro recovered quickly, breaking back in the second game, as he had done the previous two times he had lost serve, and breaking ahead to a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Amritraj, playing aggressive tennis instead of engaging in baseline rallies, made numerous unforced errors as a result. In the second game, he netted an easy forehand and missed a shoulder-high backhand volley. In the fourth game, he volleyed long on break point.

“The strategy was right. I just need to be a little more consistent,” Amritraj said.

The first set lasted only 29 minutes.

The second set was a 46-minute battle, each player holding serve at love through the first four games. Amritraj double faulted at game point in the fifth game but recovered with an overhead winner and a service ace.

Santoro lost only three points on his serve in the second set, a benefit of making 70 percent of his first serves and winning 29 of 38 first-serve points.

The match turned on that 11th game of the second set.

Despite his years of experience, his ranking (57) and the fact that Amritraj, 24, was playing in his first ATP final, Santoro said he felt nervous, even if he didn’t show it.

“Today was my 12th singles final. This is the first time I am supposed to win. I am the favorite because of my ranking, so it was a new position for me. So I came on the court and said, ‘OK, you have a better ranking, but in sport anything can happen, but normally you should win. So I was a bit nervous.”

Amritraj, a wild-card recipient, was ranked 305th.

Santoro has contemplated retiring after this year or playing a reduced schedule in France plus the Grand Slam tournaments. Winning yesterday, he was not so sure.

“I have to be back,” he said with a smile, “and I have to be back in good shape, which is more difficult.”

mszostak@projo.com