PARIS, Nov 2: Tim Henman capped the finest week of his tennis career by winning the Paris Masters title with a 6-2 7-6 7-6 defeat of Romania’s Andrei Pavel on Sunday.

The Briton’s victory was his first in a Masters Series event, earned him a cheque of 450,000 euros ($526,800) and re-established the 29-year-old among the world’s top players.

Henman, totally in command in the first set of a lacklustre final, appeared to be cruising midway through the second set before a series of unforced errors allowed Pavel to break back to 5-5 and force a tiebreak.

Up 6-4 in the tiebreak Henman, who has a habit of collapsing under the pressure of the big occasion, wasted his first set point with a double fault and then the second. Pavel slammed his racket to the ground in frustration when a Henman volley earned the Briton his third set point and this time he made the most of it, winning the tiebreak 8-6.

With Pavel serving with more vigour and stepping into Henman’s delivery, the third set was evenly matched until the tiebreak which Henman ran away with 7-2 to clinch the title.

It was the first Masters Series final for seven years between two unseeded players.

Mauresmo IN FINAL

VILLANOVA (Philadelphia): Nov 2: Amelie Mauresmo of France rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the second set, and the same margin in the tiebreaker, to defeat Ai Sugiyama 3-6 7-6 7-5 on Saturday to reach the Advanta Championships final.

Mauresmo’s win sets up a final against Anastasia Myskina of Russia, who defeated countrywoman Nadia Petrova 6-4 4-6 7-5 in another gruelling semifinal. — Reuters