Ryan Fox recovered from a shaky start to the final round to seal a wire-to-wire victory at the Ras Al Khaimah Classic.

The 35-year-old led by six shots heading into Sunday's action at Al Hamra Golf Club but saw that cut to just two at one point.

However, Fox managed to hold his nerve and carded a final-round three-under-par 69 for 22-under overall, enough to finish five shots ahead of Ross Fisher in second.

The victory is Fox's second on the European Tour, and his first in a 72-hole format, having previously triumphed in a Super 6 tournament in Perth three years ago.

Ranked 211th in the world, the New Zealander led the way from start to finish and was glad to have avoided what at one point looked like being a remarkable collapse.

"Relief is the main emotion," Fox said. "It was a bit of a struggle today. Sleeping on a six shot lead, I did not sleep well last night. 

"A couple of guys came at me early and I had that nervous feeling inside my stomach all day, but I'm happy with how I played. I hit some great shots coming down the stretch."

Fox parred the first three holes but somehow missed from just two feet to bogey the par-three fourth – a first indication that nerves were perhaps beginning to creep in.

He responded with a birdie only for another bogey to follow at the sixth, allowing Justin Harding, Robert MacIntyre and Pablo Larrazabal to close the gap significantly.

Larrazabal was within two shots when rolling in a 25-foot putt at the 11th, though Fox soon got his act together and ended strongly with three birdies on the back nine.

"I just kept plugging away and there were a few big momentum putts on the back nine," Fox said. 

"There was one on the 10th for par and then that birdie putt on 12 which kind of kicked-started everything. 

"I got away with the tee shot there, but thankfully the hole got in the way with my putt. It looked good all the way and it just gave me that bit more of a buffer."

Larrazabal fell away to finish on 69 for the day, seeing the Spaniard end in a tie for third with Zander Lombard, with Fisher in second after birdying four of his first eight holes.