Fernando Verdasco won the Davis Cup for Spain here on Sunday, beating Argentina's Jose Acasuso 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 4-6 6-3 6-1 to give his country a third title after 2000 and 2004 and deny the hosts a first.
Verdasco's success in 3hr 56min gave the Spanish, shorn of the services of injured world number one Rafael Nadal, a winning 3-1 lead.
Organisers decided not to play the meaningless second reverse singles between the hosts' David Nalbandian and Feliciano Lopez.
"It's like a dream come true - it's the most beautiful day of my life," beamed Verdasco.
"It's a nice sensation," he told Sky Sports. "It's a great day for all the people in Spain."
Argentina had been hoping to land their first ever triumph in the competition after final losses away from home in 1981 against the United States and Russia two years ago - but Verdasco produced a fighting performance against a partisan crowd to secure the 'salad bowl' for the Spanish.
A thumping drive on his third match point wrapped up the win for Verdasco against a cramping opponent who ran out of steam after going two sets to one ahead and the Spaniard pumped his fists, then embraced his squadmates as the home crowd looked on aghast.
Spanish skipper Emilio Sanchez Vicario paid tribute to his man.
"It was an incredible match - all the guys were so nervous. Fernando was just the better player - he's very strong," said Sanchez Vicario, who added the Spanish would head off to party with "a lot of wine."
Sunday's match was to have pitted up-and-coming Argentine star Juan Martin del Potro against David Ferrer but the former had to cry off after suffering a groin strain during his opening-day loss to Lopez while Ferrer was shellshocked by Friday's drubbing at the hands of Nalbandian.
So it was that two men who are essentially journeymen on the circuit found themselves thrust into the spotlight's glare.
Acasuso, a 26-year-old from Buenos Aires with only three minor career titles to his name, almost became a Davis Cup hero when he took Russia's Marat Safin to five sets in the decisive rubber during the 2006 final.
But once again he was unable to last the distance.
The protagonists had split the opening-day singles with Lopez stunning number one Argentine Del Potro after Nalbandian had crushed Ferrer.
Worryingly for Argentina, in the last 36 years of Davis Cup finals, only three times had the doubles victors not gone on to win the title.
