OEIRAS, Portugal — Albert Montanes successfully defended his Estoril Open title with a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-5 victory over unseeded Frederico Gil of Portugal in yesterday's final.

The fourth-seeded Span-iard withstood a gallant effort from Gil, and needed a third set to win after blowing two match points when leading 5-3 in the second set.

The 120th-ranked Gil took the ensuing tiebreaker and then twice broke Montanes to open a 3-0 lead thanks to some inspired passing shots. But Gil tired as the set wore on, allowing Montanes to level at 4-4 before dropping serve in the 12th game.

Montanes eliminated No. 1 Roger Federer in two sets in Saturday's semifinals.

QUERREY WINS FINALE

Sam Querrey rallied to beat John Isner, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, yesterday to win an all-American Serbia Open final in Belgrade, Serbia.

The second-seeded Isner wasted a match point in the second set while leading 5-3. Querrey then converted his fifth break point in the ninth game of the third set before serving out the match for his fourth career ATP tour title, and first on clay.

An all-American clay court final was last played in Europe in 1991, when Jim Courier defeated Andre Agassi for the French Open title.

FORMER NO. 1S GONE

Former top-ranked players Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova crashed out in the first round at the Madrid Masters yesterday.

Aravane Rezai of France beat Henin, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic defeated Sharapova, 6-4, 6-3.

Fourth-seeded Venus Williams downed Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele, 6-4, 6-2.

On the men's side, ninth-seeded David Ferrer beat Jeremy Chardy of France, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Ivo Karlovic of Croatia topped Evgeny Korolev of Kazakhstan, 6-4, 7-6 (5), and Juan Monaco of Argentina beat Simon Greul of Germany, 6-1, 6-1.

FIRST FOR YOUZHNY

Mikhail Youzhny beat top-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, yesterday to win the BMW Open for his first title of the year.

The second-seeded Russian captured the BMW Open at his third attempt in the final, having lost in 2007 and 2009.

Youzhny needed 2 hours, 52 minutes to notch his sixth career title in Munich.

Cilic, who was seeking his third title of the year, wasted break points to prevent Youzhny from winning the first set. He squandered a 3-0 lead before clinching the second set. But one break in the third was enough for Youzhny to take the title.