LOS ANGELES, July 23: Unseeded Czech Radek Stepanek upset tournament favourite James Blake 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 to clinch his second ATP title at the Los Angeles Classic on Sunday.

The 28-year-old from Karvina, playing on his preferred hardcourt surface, broke the second-seeded American twice in the final set to seal victory in two hours 20 minutes at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Despite taking a medical timeout late in the match to have treatment on his left hamstring, Stepanek outplayed his more powerful opponent with guile and impressive speed about the court.

Out of action for six months last year because of a neck injury, the Czech won his only other title in Rotterdam last year.

The Czech edged the opening set 9-7 on a tiebreak in just under an hour after each player had earlier squandered a 0-40 lead on their opponent's serve.

Blake conjured a superbly angled backhand return before wasting three breakpoints in the eighth game, Stepanek fighting back before unleashing an ace to level the set at 4-4.

The momentum shifted in favour of the Czech when Blake made successive unforced errors in the 11th game to trail 0-40 on his own serve before the American came back to hold.

After Blake failed to take advantage of three set points in the tiebreak, Stepanek won the set at the first opportunity with a searing forehand down the line.

Breaks of serve were traded in the fifth and sixth games of the second set before Blake won the 11th on Stepanek's serve, ending a well-crafted rally with an overhead smash to lead 6-5.

The American then held serve to level the match at one set all.

Blake saved two game points on his own serve before winning the second game of the final set but Stepanek tightened his grip by breaking the American in the fourth.

Blake double-faulted to trail 30-40 before the Czech struck a backhand service return winner down the line to stretch his lead to 3-1.

He again broke Blake in the eighth game to seal victory.