Linette claims maiden WTA title in Ningbo

magdalinette

Linette was staring down the barrel of defeat after losing the opening set to sixth seed Wang, but she dug deep to record a 3-6 7-5 6-1 triumph at the WTA 125k series hard-court event on Sunday.

The unseeded Pole comfortably beat compatriot Paula Kania 6-1 6-1 in Saturday's semi-final, yet she struggled on serve in a first set that deservedly went the way of her Chinese opponent.

Wang, who was also seeking a maiden WTA title, was punished for some sloppy serving of her own in a scrappy second set.

There were five breaks in total, but Linette's tenacity bore fruit as she levelled proceedings to take the match to a decider.

Wang's composure appeared to completely desert her in the third set, as she lost all three of her service games, a solitary break ensuring there was no last-set whitewash.

Linette had the chance to serve out for the win at 5-1, which the world number 143 duly did to break her title duck and bring an end to an epic two hours and 16 minutes encounter.

One small consolation for Wang is that her exploits this week are expected to see her break into the top 100 in the WTA rankings.

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