The 25-year-old defeated top seed Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7) in a thrilling three-setter in southwest China, where he was a qualifier.

Victory for Tomic -- his first ATP World Tour crown since Bogota in 2015 -- will propel the world-ranked 123 comfortably inside the top 100.

It was double disappointment for Fognini, who had been attempting to become the first Italian man to win four titles in a season.

For Tomic, it was a welcome change to be making headlines for the right reasons.

Once seen as a rising star, he has had a number of run-ins with authorities over the years.

In January he faced a backlash after boasting "I just count my millions" in response to failing to negotiate qualifying for the Australian Open.