Miguel Angel Rodriguez justified his top billing in the Betty F Griffin Memorial Florida State Open in the USA - but the top seed from Colombia was taken the full distance in the climax of the PSA World Tour Challenger 10 squash event at Lifetime Athletic Club in Boca Raton in Florida.
World number 36 Rodriguez, celebrating his 25th Tour final appearance, was facing Kamran Khan, the 21-year-old Malaysian who made the final as No3 seed after upsetting second-seeded Frenchman Yann Perrin in the semis.
Khan twice levelled the match after the 25-year-old from Bogota opened up leads - and forced the final two games into tie-breaks before Rodriguez ultimately prevailed 11-8, 3-11, 11-3, 10-12, 12-10.
"It was a tremendous final with athleticism was on full display," said tournament spokesman Kevin Jullion. "The final game was quite the nail-biter all the way through, with Miguel prevailing on a couple of stroke calls against Kamran to end the match."
The triumph marks Miguel's 18th PSA World Tour title - and rounds off a highly successful year for the top-ranked Colombian who became his country's first Pan American Games squash champion in October.
RESULTS: PSA Challenger 10 Betty F Griffin Memorial Florida State Open, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
Final:
[1] Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL) bt [3] Kamran Khan (MAS) 11-8, 3-11, 11-3, 10-12, 12-10
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