Tennis

In marathon, Vekic beats top-seeded Cibulkova for first WTA title

Published Apr. 20, 2014 11:36 a.m. ET

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Seventh-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia clinched her first WTA title on Sunday after beating top-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in the Malaysian Open final.

The 17-year-old Vekic, playing in her third final, prevailed in a match that stretched to almost three hours.

Vekic, who fired 11 aces, failed to serve out the match when leading 5-2 in the third set but regained her rhythm in the tie-breaker.

Cibulkova, who reached the final of the Australian Open, had beaten Vekic in straight sets at Indian Wells last month in their only previous encounter.

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