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Juergen Melzer came from a set down to beat lucky loser and fellow Austrian Andreas Haider-Maurer and defend his Vienna Open title on Sunday.
The world number 12 battled to a 6-7 7-6 6-4 win in just under three hours to notch the third ATP title of his career.
Haider-Maurer, ranked 157th, only qualified as a replacement for fifth seed Ernests Gulbis after the Latvian withdrew for personal reasons.
He then beat 43-year-old Thomas Muster -- making his ATP comeback after an 11-year absence -- in the first round on the way to his first ATP final.
Haider-Maurer won the first set in a tiebreak, clinching it at the fifth attempt after Melzer saved four set points and wasted one himself.
The 23-year-old broke serve at the start of the second set and had a chance to serve for the match at 5-4. But he lost his nerve as he twice double-faulted and allowed Melzer to break.
Melzer won the tiebreak and broke in the seventh game of the third set to wrap up the first all-Austrian final since 1988.
"Andi was the better player at the start but I think I deserved the win in the end," said Melzer.
(Writing by Brian Homewood in Berne; Editing by Sonia Oxley; To comment on this story: sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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