STRASBOURG, France: Former French Open finalist Samantha Stosur, warmed up for her bid in Paris this year, by defeating French player Kristina Mladenovic 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to win the WTA Strasbourg Open on Saturday.

The 31-year-old Australian, who defeated Serena Williams to win the 2011 US Open, picks up her seventh individual title after outlasting Mladenovic on the east coast of France.

The Brisbane right-hander reached a career high of four in the world in 2011, on the back of her triumph in New York, and is now on the brink of breaking back into the global top 20.

She lost the 2010 French Open final against Italian Francesca Schiavone in straight sets but won the doubles’ crown in 2006 with American Lisa Raymond.

Mladenovic is one of the rising talents in the French women’s game but misses out on a second WTA title as she heads to the French capital bidding to improve on her third round performance last year.

Roland Garros gets underway on Sunday.

Knapp wins second WTA crown

Italy’s Karin Knapp, the world number 48, defeated her compatriot Roberta Vinci 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-1 to win the WTA Nuremburg Cup and her second career title on Saturday.

The 27-year-old, had not tasted victory on the senior circuit since her breakthrough triumph in September 2014 at the Tashkent Open.

The win comes on the eve of Roland Garros which begins in Paris on Sunday. Knapp achieved her best ever Grand Slam result in Paris last year when she reached the third round.

The 2013 Fed Cup winner has been drawn against former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the first round.

Vinci, a winner of five Grand Slam doubles’ titles and a teammate of Knapp during their 2013 Fed Cup victory, misses out on a chance for a 10th WTA singles’ title and first since July 2013 at Palermo.

Thiem takes first career title in Nice

MAustrian Dominic Thiem snatched his maiden ATP career title when he beat Argentine fourth seed Leonardo Mayer 6-7(8) 7-5 7-6(2) to win the Nice Open on Saturday.

World number 42 Thiem, labelled one of the world’s top prospects, lacked composure in the first set as he lost the tiebreak 10-8.

He took the only break of the match in the 12th game of the second set to level the tie, powering through the final set’s decider 7-2.

The 21-year-old Thiem is on a third-round collision course with local favorite Gael Monfils should they both progress at the French Open.