American Ryan Harrison wept with relief after winning his first ATP World Tour title, beating Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia 6-1 6-4 in the final of the Memphis Open.
After breezing through the first set, Harrison survived some nervous moments in the second, saving break points in each of his service games.
But he proved unbreakable in the clutch, digging out of trouble time and again before securing the title with an ace down the middle on the indoor hardcourt in Tennessee.
"I was overwhelmed with emotion there at the end of the match," the 24-year-old from Louisiana said in a teary on-court interview.
Harrison, a former teenage prodigy who turned pro in 2007, had seen his form and ranking declined in recent years.
He will jump into the top 50 in the world rankings, after starting the tournament ranked 62nd.
The hard-hitting Basilashvili, meanwhile, could only lament failing to convert any of his 10 break point opportunities in the second set.
The world No.67 was seeking to become the first player from Georgia to win an ATP World Tour title.
But his prodigious power proved a double-edged sword in the final, as he made unforced errors in a baseline battle.
