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Houston - Juan Ignacio Chela won his first ATP title in more than three years Sunday as he toppled third-seeded American Sam Querrey 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 at the US Men's Clay Court Championships.
The unseeded Argentinian turned up the heat in the second set as he pulled away from Querrey for his fifth ATP title and his first since he beat Carlos Moya for the crown in Acapulco in March 2007.
Chela sealed the victory when Querrey belted a service return over the line.
Querrey, ranked 25th in the world, hit 19 winners to just two for Chela in the opening set.
By the end of the second frame, however, Chela was swinging freely and matching Querrey winner for winner.
The victory will push Chela up some 30 places in the world rankings to around number 50 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
The 30-year-old veteran, a former number 15, was last in the top 50 in July of 2008.
Querrey was Chela's fourth straight seeded victim here. He upset seventh seed Eduardo Schwank in the second round, number four and and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt in the quarter-finals, and number six Horacio Zeballos in the semi-finals.
The unseeded Argentinian turned up the heat in the second set as he pulled away from Querrey for his fifth ATP title and his first since he beat Carlos Moya for the crown in Acapulco in March 2007.
Chela sealed the victory when Querrey belted a service return over the line.
Querrey, ranked 25th in the world, hit 19 winners to just two for Chela in the opening set.
By the end of the second frame, however, Chela was swinging freely and matching Querrey winner for winner.
The victory will push Chela up some 30 places in the world rankings to around number 50 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
The 30-year-old veteran, a former number 15, was last in the top 50 in July of 2008.
Querrey was Chela's fourth straight seeded victim here. He upset seventh seed Eduardo Schwank in the second round, number four and and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt in the quarter-finals, and number six Horacio Zeballos in the semi-finals.
