David Ferrer has secured his third Heineken Open title, defeating the gritty Olivier Rochus in straight sets in a rain-affected finale.
The world No.5 played consistent tennis, and despite a poor first serve rate (43 percent) the Spaniard secured the majority of points on serve.
While unwelcome, the presence of rain in the final summarised the week-long tournament accurately, most notably on the fourth day when the night session was abandoned due to conditions.
The tournament victory bodes well for David Ferrer, who advanced to the semi-finals of the US Open (2007) and Australian Open (2011) after winning the Auckland title in previous years.
Rochus had battled in three consecutive three-set battles to advance to the final. Reaching the final two was a fine achievement for the near 31-year-old, who was ill on the eve of the tournament and considered withdrawing altogether.
He relied on that grit and perseverance in the final, but he always looked a pace behind Ferrer, who was in complete control en route to a 6-3 6-4 victory.
The first set was interrupted relatively early by an eight-minute rain delay, but it didn't faze Ferrer, who raced to a 3-0 lead after breaking Rochus in the second game.
An unlucky Ferrer had to wait for another longer rain delay to pass before he was able to secure the first set 6-3. Rochus had done his best to save three set points before the shower arrived, but couldn't save a fourth as the tournament's top seed had one hand on the trophy.
It looked as if the world No.5 would stroll in the second after breaking Rochus in the first game of the second set, but the resilient Belgian battled back to put the match back on serve in the fourth game.
A further break in the seventh game gave Ferrer a half-step and seven of ten fingers on the trophy. But he had one more test to pass. Rochus fought as hard as he could to force the eighth game to three deuces.
But it was the hold of serve in the fourth attempt that ensured the resistance of the gritty 30-year-old was broken. Ferrer then served for the match in the 10th game to secure the set, the match and his third Heineken Open title.
Score:
[1] David Ferrer (ESP) def Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-3 6-4.