Verdasco ensured an eighth straight Spanish winner at Godo after bettering the second-seeded Soderling in a battle of baseline groundstrokes.

Fifth-seeded broke Soderling on consecutive service games to take the first set before faltering in the second to even the match.

scored the decisive break in the fourth game of the last set when Soderling hit wide. served out the match for his second title of the season in his third final appearance.

dropped to the red clay to savor a win that came only after the Spaniard accepted a last-minute wild-card invitation.

“I wasn't planning to play this week so you can imagine my feelings right now. It's incredible,” the ninth-ranked said after improving his overall record in finals to 5-7 while snapping a four-match losing streak to Soderling.

“At the last minute they convinced me to come and now I'm lifting the trophy so thanks to all of them.” 's clay court season started with last week's Monte Carlos Masters final loss to Rafael Nadal, who had won the Barcelona Open for the last five years.

stroked a crosscourt forehand winner for a triple-break chance that he would convert for a 4-3 lead when Soderling's forehand hit the net.

clinched the opening set on his fourth try as he worked Soderling wide before slamming a forehand winner down the line as the Swede, who had 15 unforced errors in the first frame, dropped a set for the first time all week.

Soderling failed to create a break opportunity against until the opening service game of the second set as he went ahead from a triple-break chance when hit long.

broke right back to even it, but would then trail 4-3 after sending his backhand into the net to be broken.

Neither player ventured to the net often but Soderling did to clinch the second set as he guided 's return to the far corner to even the match.

Trailing 2-1, Soderling came forward to try a backhand smash but instead found the net. was undone by a bad bounce off the net on the first break chance but was vindicated immediately after as Soderling hit wide to trail.

Neither player dropped serve after that and secured his second title of season and a paycheck of $383,000 when Soderling hit out.

The eighth-ranked Soderling was looking to be the first Swede to win in Barcelona since Kent Carlsson. He fell to 5-8 in career finals.