Joao Sousa won his first ATP Tour title since 2018 as he defeated Emil Ruusuvuori in the final of the Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune on Sunday.

Ruusuvuori initially gave a good account of himself in his first final on the tour, but he was ultimately blown away in the final set as Sousa won 7-6 (11-9) 4-6 6-1.

After sealing the first set in a tense tie-break, Sousa appeared set to cruise to victory when an early break in the second had him 3-0 up.

But Ruusuvuori then won five games in a row at 4-1 down to fight back brilliantly and force a decider.

Sousa had too much for him in the end, however, an early break in the third set seeing momentum shift the 32-year-old's way and give him the boost he needed to claim a first title since winning on home soil in Estoril in May 2018.

We salute you!@joaosousa30 wins an amazing final against Emil Ruusuvuori, 7-6 4-6 6-1, becoming the #TataOpenMaharashtra 2022 championpic.twitter.com/oBTFhavyq6

: @TennisTV | @MaharashtraOpen

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 6, 2022