( dpa )- The hectic schedule of globe-trotting Andy Roddick has paid another dividend as the American leaves the Middle East and heads to California carrying his 25th career title.
And there could well be more to come later in the week as the Indian Wells Masters begins for the American who fought back after losing the first-set tiebreaker to overhaul Spain's Feliciano Lopez 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 6-2 in Dubai.
But first, there are a few more plane journeys to complete.
Only hours after lifting the crown on his debut in the oil-rich emirate, Roddick was flying first class for a weekend start at Indian Wells in another desert - this one slightly closer to home in California 200 kilometres east of Los Angeles.
After adding Dubai to the San Jose honours he lifted 13 days earlier, the former number one has made his intentions known that his current sixth place is not good enough.
"This is as well as I have ever played. With these great players here and to finish a week like this it is just great."
Trophy in hand, Roddick immediately embarked on a reversal of his 9,000-kilometer trip which began a week ago in Memphis, and went through Washington and Frankfurt before landing him jet-lagged in the emirate.
He sleep-walked through his first two wins over Juan-Carlos Ferrero and Paul-Henri Mathieu.
With former coach Jimmy Connors how out of the Team Roddick mix, the American number one looks keen to make a move back into the Top Five and beyond.
He said that taking a chance on Dubai after years of hoping to play was a wise decision. But it came at the expense of playing at a US event in Las Vegas.
"It's tough, if I don't play in the US it affects the tournament," said the North American draw card. "There is good and bad to both sides.
"But I've always wanted to play here so I sucked up the travel and came."
Roddick has reached the Indian Wells semi-finals twice, including last year when he lost to Rafael Nadal , his quarter-final Dubai victim.
Seeds in California begin at the weekend while women's play starts on Wednesday at the dual-gender event.