World number three Andy Roddick fended off four set points in the second set on his way to defeating Germany's Tommy Haas 6-3, 7-6 in the final of the invitational Kooyong Classic on Saturday.
The victory was the American's first in the eight-man invitational event, which is one of the traditional warm-up tournaments for the Australian Open starting in Melbourne on Monday.
He lost to world number one Roger Federer in last year's final.
"I come here wanting to win ... and I think it's great preparation for next week because you are getting into your routine so it becomes second nature," Roddick told reporters.
"I knew it was going to be tough because Tommy had been playing really well (and) ... he was trying to push that to a third set."
Roddick, who missed last year's season-ending Masters Cup with a back injury said the enforced break had helped him with his preparations for the year's first grand slam.
"I definitely feel the most prepared I have ever been," he said. "I had a legitimate off season where I was able to train and I feel fit and I'm really excited."
Roddick, who advanced to the final after Nicolas Kiefer rolled his ankle and defaulted after just one game of their match on Friday, used his overpowering serve to get out of tight spots in the evenly-contested match.
"I'm happy (with my serve) because it was one part of the game where I felt that I didn't do too well in my first match.
"Today it kind of clicked in because I made a lot of adjustments yesterday in practice. So I was very pleased with the way I served today."
LOST CONCENTRATION
After taking the first set, the 23-year-old American lost concentration in the second allowing Haas, who had beaten Federer on Wednesday, to jump out to a 5-2 lead and then a 0-40 advantage in the eighth game.
Roddick, however, used his booming serve to save the game and then his powerful forehand in the next to earn a break.
He levelled at 5-5 in the next game and had three break points in the 11th before Haas also scrambled his way back to take a 6-5 lead.
Roddick sent the match into the tiebreak and then jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Haas fought his way back to 5-5 on a superb running backhand pass.
The American, however, was not to be denied and held his last two service points to win the tiebreak 8-6.
Roddick will face Switzerland's Michael Lammer in the first round of the Australian Open, while Haas has been drawn against 14th seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
