French teenager Gael Monfils is following a path put down by Rafael Nadal.

The 18-year-old Monfils captured his first ATP Tour title Sunday with a hard-fought 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 7-5 victory over Germany's Florian Mayer in the final of the Idea Prokom Open.

At this claycourt tournament last year, Nadal defeated Jose Acasuso to win his first career title as an 18-year-old.

He has gone on to become one of the top players in tennis, capturing the French Open earlier this year.

Facing Mayer for the first time, Monfils collected US$72,970. He won a pair of events on the Challenger Tour earlier this year.

The third set was tied, 5-5, before Monfils held and scored a service break in the final game. He avoided the tie-breaker he needed in the first set, when he squandered a 5-2 lead.

Mayer scored a break in the seventh game of the second set and held to level the match.

Facing match point on his serve, he netted a forehand following a return by Monfils, who handed his shirt and towels to fans in the crowd in celebration.

Monfils reached his first career final by outlasting Italian Potito Starace in the semi-finals.

He had another long match Sunday against Mayer, who was playing in his first final of 2005.

Mayer, 21, had advanced by beating Argentina's Guillermo Coria, who won here in 2003 and was coming off last week's victory at the Croatia Open.