Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis lifted his first ATP World Tour title since February 2007, after defeating Olivier Rochus of Belgium 6-1, 7-5 at the If Stockholm Open on Sunday. 

Baghdatis became the 10th unseeded winner of the ATP World Tour this year and the first since Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil won at the Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad on 2 August.

World No. 66 Baghdatis earned €93,000 in prize money and won 250 South African Airways 2009 ATP Ranking points, while Rochus pocketed €49,000 and 150 points.

"I played really well in the first set," said Baghdatis.  "It was important to get a good start, but then in the second set Olivier stepped it up.  I was a bit lucky to win in two sets in the end.  I wanted to win this so badly.  It was my chance to win another title and I managed to find the solution to win."

Baghdatis, who won his third ATP Challenger Tour title last week at Tashkent (d. Istomin), made a confident start in his seventh ATP World Tour final. 

The 24 year old converted his third break point opportunity in the fourth game and his decisively broke in the sixth game.  He won 66 per cent of service points and hit eight aces in the 40-minute first set.

The pair exchanged service breaks at the start of the second set and again in the sixth and seventh games.   Baghdatis, who beat Rochus 7-5, 6-4 at the 2006 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, broke serve for the fifth time in the 11th game and went on to wrap up the victory in one hour and 39 minutes.

Baghdatis won 62 per cent of service points, hit 15 aces and saved four of six break points.  It was his third ATP World Tour trophy (3-4 lifetime) and first since 4 February 2007 at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors.

"It's been a long time since I won an ATP tournament," admitted Baghdatis.  "The last one was in Febuary 2007.  I'm so happy right now.  It's been a tough couple of years and this title came when I least expected it, so it's even better.
 
"I'll work hard in the off-season so I can start the year strong next year and try and be more consistant and play a full year.  It's been a tough last two weeks for me - I've played 10 matches and won all all of them so of course I am a bit tired now.  I'm going to rest for a few days before playing my last tournament, a Challenger in South Korea."

The former World No. 8 (21 August 2006) improved to a 23-16 match record on the year.  Rochus, 28, dropped to 3-4 in ATP World Tour finals and to 13-7 this year.  It was his first final appearance since 30 September 2007 at Mumbai (l. to Gasquet).

"My serve didn't work as well as it had done earlier in the week today," confessed Roschus.  "I had a few too many double faults and had a lower first serve pecentage, which cost me a lot.

"I came back well in the second set and there was not much in it.  If I had served a bit better I think I could have maybe taken it into a third set.  I think the serve was the difference today, but Marcos played very well. I can't complain with my week, but of course it's always disappointing to lose a final."