Seventh-seeded Nicolas Massu from Chile beat local favourite Raemon Sluiter 6-4 7-6 (7/3) 6-2 on Sunday at the Dutch Open to capture his first ATP title of the year.

Massu used his consistent baseline game to outplay the sixth-seeded Dutchman.

After taking match point, he fell to his knees with hands covering his face.

"It feels fantastic to have won the Dutch Open," said Massu. "This tournament is very important to me. Raemon (Sluiter) played a great match.

"It was very intense, but I felt relaxed out there, almost as though I knew I was going to win.

"I remember the last time I played in the final of Buenos Aires. I felt so nervous coming into the match and especially when I was serving for the title. Today, I didn't have those feelings."

Sluiter broke Massu in the third game of the first set, but the Chilean broke back in the next game and finished the set with another break in the 10th game.

That built confidence for the 23-year-old Chilean, who took the second-set tiebreaker before coasting in the final set to make it three wins out of three against Sluiter in career clashes.

Massu, who also won a championship at Buenos Aires in 2002, earned £37,000, while Sluiter, 25, remains without a tour title.

Sluiter said: "I play tournaments for a better ranking and to win some titles. So it is very hard for me that I haven't won a title and lost in three finals.

"I enjoyed playing here today, with this crowd. I really liked it today. We are not just tennis players, but we are also performers.

"I want to play only ATP tournaments and not Challengers any more. Playing the qualifying at an ATP tournaments is more interesting to me than playing Challenger main draws."