Sydney - David Nalbandian struggled for two and a quarter hours to subdue Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, winning the 10th title of his career on Saturday at the Medibank International.

Nieminen, winner of one career trophy three years ago in Auckland, gave the fourth-seeded Argentine multiple frights in their battle played in front of the namesake of the newly christened Ken Rosewall stadium.

Nalbandian now holds a 7-4 lead in his series with number 40 Niemimen, which began in 2002 at Estoril in another final. The winner is the first from his nation to lift the prize in Sydney.

"Jarkko played a great match and had a great week," Nalbandian said of his opponent who knocked out Australian Open holder Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals.

"You have to believe that you can play at this level all of the year," he told the Finn who struggled with injury and illness for the first half of 2008.

Nalbandian last played Nieminen in the October Stockholm semi-finals, with Nieminen earning his last victory in the series in Miami two years ago.

"I had a great week, it was almost perfect except for the fact that I lost," said the Finn, 27. "I enjoyed playing here."

Nalbandian won the opening set in 30 minutes but found himself in a stiff battle from late in the second when he missed on a chance to serve out a straight-sets win.

Leading a set and 5-4, the Argentine faced three break points, with a wide return putting Nieminen back in the chase, 5-5.

Nieminen won his 10th straight point to take a 30-lead earning a 6-5 margin but losing the edge a game later to bring on a tiebreaker.

The second-set decider turned into a huge battle, with Nalbandian saving eight set points before finally losing the set 11-9 from a long return of a Nieminen serve.

But the Argentine managed to turn up the volume in the final set, breaking in the sixth and eighth games to take out the victory.

Nalbandian broke five times while losing his own serve twice.

The result left Nieminen 1-7 in career finals. (dpa)