KUALA LUMPUR: Ashleigh Barty fired on all cylinders to clinch the WTA Malaysian Open title after she brushed aside Japan’s Nao Hibino 6-3, 6-2 in 73 minutes in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.
The Australian, who had come through the qualifiers and only dropped a set en route to the final, cut a ferocious figure from the get-go with her powerful ground strokes which left Nibino reeling on most occasions.
A heavy downpour saw play suspended for almost 90 minutes with Barty leading 4-1 in the first set.
When play resumed, Barty did not let off, resuming in the same attack mode to take the first set 6-3.
The 158th-ranked player was even more dominant in the second game, working her opponents deep into the baseline with powerful forehand returns to win 6-2 and capture her first professional title.
“It’s amazing to have won, it truly is. I am a bit speechless.” Barty said.
“I was just happy to come out and play some good tennis today,” she added.
Barty will pocket $43,000 for her maiden title, while Hibino will take home $23,400.
Tsurenko downs Mladenovic for Acapulco WTA crown
Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko nabbed her third WTA Tour title Saturday, toppling second-seeded Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5 in the Mexican Open final at Acapulco.
Tsurenko, the seventh seed who advanced when top-seeded Mirjana Lucic-Baroni retired from their semifinal with illness, got off to a hot start and held on to notch her fourth win over France’s Mladenovic in five career meetings.
Tsurenko has now won a title in each of the past three years — emerging triumphant in all three of her career finals appearances.
Tsurenko rolled to a 5-0 lead and in a second set in which service breaks were the norm she earned what proved the decisive break in the 11th game and then held for the win.
Mladenovic was denied a second career title to go with the St. Petersburg trophy she lifted last month.
The Australian, who had come through the qualifiers and only dropped a set en route to the final, cut a ferocious figure from the get-go with her powerful ground strokes which left Nibino reeling on most occasions.
A heavy downpour saw play suspended for almost 90 minutes with Barty leading 4-1 in the first set.
When play resumed, Barty did not let off, resuming in the same attack mode to take the first set 6-3.
The 158th-ranked player was even more dominant in the second game, working her opponents deep into the baseline with powerful forehand returns to win 6-2 and capture her first professional title.
“It’s amazing to have won, it truly is. I am a bit speechless.” Barty said.
“I was just happy to come out and play some good tennis today,” she added.
Barty will pocket $43,000 for her maiden title, while Hibino will take home $23,400.
Tsurenko downs Mladenovic for Acapulco WTA crown
Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko nabbed her third WTA Tour title Saturday, toppling second-seeded Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5 in the Mexican Open final at Acapulco.
Tsurenko, the seventh seed who advanced when top-seeded Mirjana Lucic-Baroni retired from their semifinal with illness, got off to a hot start and held on to notch her fourth win over France’s Mladenovic in five career meetings.
Tsurenko has now won a title in each of the past three years — emerging triumphant in all three of her career finals appearances.
Tsurenko rolled to a 5-0 lead and in a second set in which service breaks were the norm she earned what proved the decisive break in the 11th game and then held for the win.
Mladenovic was denied a second career title to go with the St. Petersburg trophy she lifted last month.
