The 37th-ranked Malisse won 6-1, 6-3 in a disappointing final before some 5,000 Indian fans at the Nungambakkam tennis stadium to pick up the winner's purse of 65,850 dollars and 35 ATP Race Points.

It was the Belgian's first title in two years. He won his only other tournament in Delrey Beach, Florida, in January 2005.

The 26-year-old, who stunned world number two Rafael Nadal of Spain in the semi-finals, began his 2007 campaign in rousing fashion after finishing among the top 50 five times in the last six years.

Koubek paid for erratic serving, failing to hold any of his four service games in the first set before being broken again in the fourth game of the second set.

Malisse, playing a superior allround game, lost his serve only once, in the fourth game of the first set, and then wasted one match point before Koubek hit wide to lose the final.

The 30-year-old Koubek, ranked 80th, beat seventh seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, fourth seed Julien Benneteau of France and Spanish veteran Carlos Moya in his previous three matches, losing just 10 games.