Tennis - Teenager Svitolina beats Peer for maiden WTA title
Tennis - Teenager Svitolina beats Peer for maiden WTA title
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina has won her first WTA Tour title by beating Israel’s Shahar Peer 6-4 6-4 in the final at Baku.
The world number 71 needed one hour and 37 minutes to see off the world number 149 for her maiden tour title win, having made her debut in 2010.
“It was a very difficult match and I have really had some tough matches during the week,” Svitolina, who reached her first semi-final in Bad Gastein last week, said.
“But I have worked really hard before the tournament and things went in my favour.”
The 19-year-old is the youngest woman to win a tour title since Hungary’s Timea Babos took the Monterrey title in February 2012.
Svitolina, who went out of Wimbledon in the first round to eventual champion Marion Bartoli, played the important points well, saving 71% of break points against her serve and winning four from six at her end.
Former world number 11 Peer, 26, was in her first final for two years and last won a title in 2009.
