LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - Unseeded American Sam Querrey captured his first career ATP title on Sunday, beating South African qualifier Kevin Anderson in three sets to win this 500,000-dollar hardcourt tournament.

Querrey, ranked 66th in the world, fired 12 aces en route to a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over the 175th-ranked Anderson.

Querrey, 20, bettered his match record to 12-6 this year and became the second American to capture an ATP title in 2008.

The other is Andy Roddick, who won in San Jose last month and Dubai on Saturday.

Querrey reached his first career final with a 7-5, 6-2 semi-final victory over fourth-seeded Guillermo Canas of Argentina.

Canas had been the last seed standing after number one Fernando Gonzalez, second seed and defending champion Lleyton Hewitt and third-seeded Marcos Baghdatis were all ousted in a rash of early upsets.

Anderson, who starred on the US collegiate circuit for the University of Illinois, ousted American Robby Ginepri, 7-6, (7/4), 6-4, in the semi-finals to also reach his first final.

Anderson continued an uncanny run of success in recent weeks for players emerging from qualifying.

In February, Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori won the title in Delray Beach as a qualifier. Last week, lucky loser Sergiy Stakhovsky of the Ukraine captured his first career crown in Zagreb.