Qualifier Bertens wins Grand Prix SAR
Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens won her first WTA title when she beat Spaniard Laura Pous-Tio 7-5, 6-0 in the Grand Prix SAR final on Saturday.
Both played in their first tour final.
''In the beginning I was very nervous and she started well, but after I won the first set all my nerves were gone,'' Bertens said. ''I'm excited. I'm going to play more tournaments now and try to win more.''
The 20-year-old Bertens dropped serve twice, but used her superior returns to break Pous-Tio three times in each set.
Bertens raced away with the second set, conceding only two points on her serve, while Pous-Tio managed to win only 41 percent of her first-serve points.
''It is only my second tournament on clay, so I'm still happy with the result,'' Pous-Tio said. ''She started attacking more and everything started going faster. She played a very good match today.''
The 149th-ranked Bertens came through two qualifying rounds to make the main draw, and she had previously never been beyond the first round at a WTA event.
''I love it here. I was here for one week because I played the qualies too, so I'm a little bit tired now,'' Bertens said. ''But I'm going to celebrate tonight.''