Guillermo Garcia-Lopez saw off Jarko Nieminen to lift the Thailand Open crown, the second ATP title of his career.
The Spaniard saw off compatriot and top seed Rafael Nadal in the semi final to set up the clash with the Fin.
The first set went with serve for the opening six games and it was Garcia Lopez who made the first move in the seventh game to snatch the first break.
The break saw him take a 4-3 lead before fighting off a break point of his own in the next to extend his lead to 5-3.
Nieminen closed the gap when he held serve in the ninth game and once again put pressure on the Garcia-Lopez serve as the Spaniard tried to get the first set under his belt.
Garcia-Lopez was forced to save four break points before an ace sealed a competitive first set 6-4.
But it was Nieminen who made the brighter start in the second set as he took the first three games to put himself in a commanding position.
And Garcia-Lopez couldn't get back in contention and after just over half an hour it was all square as Nieminen wrapped up the second 3-6.
A deciding set was needed to decide the winner and it was the Spaniard who got the early break to open up a 3-1 lead.
But he was unable to keep the momentum on his side as the Fin hit back and they were locked together at 4-4.
Garcia-Lopez held his serve in the ninth to lead 5-4 and Nieminen was left to serve to stay in the match.
And the Fin made a fight of it as he fought off a host of match points before his defences finally caved to give Garcia-Lopez a 6-4 3-6 6-4 win.
Speaking to the ATP after the match Garcia-Lopez said: "It has been an unbelievable week for me, from the first round to the final.
"Every match is different. I think I played relaxed, enjoyed my game and everything was perfect. It's hard to express what it means, I'm really happy inside.
"Nieminen played an unbelievable tournament. The score of the match, 6-4 in the third, shows that it was a tough match today.
"He had a lot of break points in the first set and didn't take his opportunities. I took the only break point I had in the first set.
"And then I played good in the third set and I think he was a bit nervous at 4-5 in the third."
Garcia-Lopez will be in action again this week in Tokyo at the Japan Open.
FemaelFirst Helen Earnshaw



















