Pavel stuns Rafter to win Montreal Masters

Unseeded Romanian Andrei Pavel beat Australian Pat Rafter 7-6 2-6 6-3 to win the $2.95 million Montreal Masters Series on Sunday.

The 27-year-old's victory, which earned him 100 Champions Race points, was his third ATP Tour title.

"I had some luck today, but I also played well. I came here with few expectations and just took it a day at a time," said Pavel.

"I know the feeling of watching other guys win here. For me to be in this position is a dream.

"This a success that not everyone can have. It shows that tennis is a tight sport. There is a chance for anyone to take a shot at the big guys."

Pavel, the first Romanian to lift a Canadian title since Ilie Nastase in 1972, joins the ranks of low-profile Canadian winners including Mikael Pernfors, Thomas Johansson, Chris Woodruff and Andrei Chesnokov.

Pavel combined his own strong serve with smooth passing returns to counter Rafter's trademark serve-and-volley game.

He took the first set on a tiebreak and then after losing the second set, broke Rafter in a tight eighth game of the deciding set to go 5-3 up before serving out.

"The balls were flying away from me," admitted Rafter, who was beaten by Goran Ivanisevic in an epic Wimbledon final earlier this year. "I never really felt comfortable out there."

The Queenslander, who has not won a title for over a year, added: "I'm bored with not closing out tournaments.

"But other than the final, it was a pretty good week."