Frenchman Florent Serra made the most of his first opportunity in an ATP final on Sunday.

Serra captured his first career title in his first appearance in a final with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Russia's Igor Andreev at the US$466,000 BCR Open.

The 24-year-old Serra entered this event with just a 4-6 record on the ATP Tour this year.

That inexperience did not hinder him at all against Andreev, who was appearing in his fourth career final.

Serra strived in the role of an underdog all week, beating three seeded players en route to his appearance in the final.

After bouncing back from a one-set deficit to upset second seed Filippo Volandri in the second round, Serra knocked off fellow countryman Paul-Henri Mathieu, the seventh seed, in the quarter-finals and number three Andrei Pavel of Romania in the semis.

Andreev, who captured his first career title at Valencia in April, fell to 1-3 in finals.