Juan Monaco wins Duesseldorf final over Jarkko Nieminen

Juan Monaco beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-3 Saturday to win the inaugural Power Horse Cup for his first title of the year. The victory for the third-seeded

Juan Monaco's best French Open finishes were fourth-round berths in 2007 and 2012 :: Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

Juan Monaco beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-3 Saturday to win the inaugural Power Horse Cup for his first title of the year.

The victory for the third-seeded Argentine gave him a boost ahead of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year that starts Sunday.

The Duesseldorf ATP event, which replaced the World Team Cup, is a clay-court warmup for the French Open.

Monaco won back-to-back matches at only three tournaments coming into Duesseldorf, but he did not drop a set in winning the eighth title of his career.

Monaco broke serve for a 5-4 lead and served out the set. He went up a break early in the second and broke his Finnish opponent again in the final game.