Garbine Muguruza defeats Klara Zakopalova to win Hobart International
Updated
Spanish qualifier Garbine Muguruza sprung an upset to defeat seventh seed Klara Zakopalova to win the Hobart International final.
Muguruza, ranked 58 in the world, beat her Czech opponent 6-4, 6-0 to claim her maiden WTA Tour title.
Zakopalova had eliminated Australian top seed Samantha Stosur in the semi-finals.
The 20-year-old Muguruza joins Germany's Mona Barthel, who won in 2012, as the only qualifiers to win the tournament.
The six-foot Muguruza knocked second seed and Wimbledon semi-finalist Kirsten Flipkens out on the way to her first WTA Tour final.
The Venezuelan-born right-hander did not drop a set from the qualifiers to the final, as she tuned up for a first-round meeting with Estonian 24th seed Kaia Kanepi at the Australian Open.
She swept aside compatriot Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-0, 6-1 in the semi-finals to set up her meeting with 31-year-old Zakopalova.
The pair traded breaks in the first set before Muguruza's power rose to the fore.
Leading 5-4, she grabbed the crucial break in the 10th game when Zakopalova netted on Muguruza's first set point.
Zakopalova's game looked to be falling apart when she lost her opening service game in the second and the writing was on the wall when Muguruza broke again to lead 4-0.
The Czech saved two match points in her final service game but double-faulted on the third to hand the title to the Spaniard in a final lasting an hour and 10 minutes.
Muguruza played her first Australian Open last year, losing in the second round.
AAP/ABC
Topics: tennis, sport, hobart-7000
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