After going through a dry spell for the past 11 months, David Ferrer kicked off his 2-15 season in sublime fashion with a title win at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

The Spaniard, who had not won a title since Buenos Aires last February, defeated Tomas Berdych 6-4, 7-5 in 1 hour and 29 minutes. The Spaniard won 71% of his first service points, saved 6 of eight break points he faced, and struck 15 winners to close out the match. It was his 22nd ATP World Tour title.

The match took a particularly enthralling turn in the second set, when Berdych failed to serve out the set on three different attempts and allowed Ferrer to close out the match to love.

“I’m very happy,” said Ferrer. “I put in hard work this preseason. It’s special winning this tournament. I was ready to play tonight’s match against Berdych – a Top 10 player.”

Ferrer, who moved to 8-5 in the head-to-head series against Berdych, earned $195,000 in prize money and 250 Emirates ATP Rankings for his efforts on Sunday. A dejected Berdych took home $102,675 and 150 ranking points. However, the Czech No. 1 allowed himself to see the silver lining after the match.

“First of all, it’s a disappointment to lose the final,” reflected Berdych. “But on the other hand, it’s been a very solid week. It’s been a couple of good matches. I was not able to execute the right way (today), but I think it’s a good start for me.”