Phillip Petzschner on Sunday became the third qualifier to win an event on the ATP Tour this season after beating Gael Monfils in the final of the Bank Austria-Tennis tournament.

The German overcame the eighth-seeded Frenchman 6-4 6-4. He is the first qualifier to win the event since Belgian Filip Dewulf defeated Thomas Muster in 1995.

Petzschner follows in the footsteps of Japan's Kei Nishikori at Delray Beach and Frenchman Gilles Simon in Casablanca as the only players in 2008 to have qualified for an event and then won it.

Petzschner entered this event with just four victories on the Tour this year, but got off to a good start by upsetting Swiss top seed Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round.

Monfils, a semi-finalist this season at Roland Garros, Nottingham and Bangkok, was playing in the sixth final of his career and was seeking a second title after winning at Sopot in 1995.

The victory also moved Petzschner into the top 100 for the first time.

The German said: "It was an unbelievable week and I think I played the best tennis of my life. From the beginning of the week to the final match, I played great and I am really happy I won my first tournament here.

"I think the key today was that I was a little more patient than him. My tactics went a little bit better. I changed a little bit since our last match in Bangkok. I tried to come to the net and be more aggressive. It worked out pretty well.

"For the rest of the year, I will be aiming to improve my ranking and possibly be seeded at smaller tournaments next year. I won't play much more this year, but want to ensure my preparations are correct for Australia and the start of the 2009 season."

The beaten Monfils praised his opponent's play and conceded he did not deserve to win.

"Philipp played great tennis," he said. "He played better than me and was more consistent today. I was below his level today [and] hit some bad shots.

"I am disappointed because I lost in the final, but he played better than me [by] being more aggressive. He bothered me a lot with his game. Now I have to keep working to get stronger and reach another final."