David Nalbandian picked up where he left off a year ago indoors, scoring a 6-2 5-7 6-3 success over Swede Robin Soderling to win the Stockholm Open to start the European indoor season with a victory.
The world No.7 brushed back Sodering comeback effort to collect his fifth victory in six matches in that series. Last year, the Argentine exploded into form with back-to-back titles at the Masters events in Madrid and Paris Bercy.
Nalbandian becomes the first Argentine champion ever in Stockholm, while Soderling's loss left the hosts without a home trophy since Thomas Johansson, the tenth Swede to win the event in 2004.
Nalbandian is thick in the race for the season-ending, eight-man Masters Cup in Shanghai in less than a month.
But the 26-year-old is unlikely to make the trip to China, with his focus on the key Davis Cup final against Spain at Mar del Plata in his homeland.
The title was his second this season after Buenos Aires on clay in February followed by an Acapulco final.
Nalbandian ran away with the opening set in just over 20 minutes, breaking his 35th-ranked opponent twice.
But after getting an early break in the second, Soderling clawed it back for 4-all, securing the set with a break of the Argentine in the final game.
The third ran with serve until Nalbandian took a 4-3 lead after Soderling had salvaged three break points. Nalbandian then polished off victory in 1hour 37min on his first match point.
Soderling was playing at the Kungligahallen for the sixth time and now stands 13-6 at the tournament. Nalbandian stands 34-13 for the season.
Soderling had come to the court without once dropping serve all week, winning 37 straight service games.
Nalbandian now heads on Monday to Madrid, where he begins the defence his 2007 title, starting in the second round against either Rainer Schuettler or Tomas Berdych.
