Belgian Kirsten Flipkens made the most of her first WTA finals opportunity, capping a dream week at the Bell Challenge with a 6-1 7-5 victory over eighth-seeded Lucie Hradecka in Sunday’s final.
Both finalists were seeking a first career WTA title.
Hradecka had come up short in four prior finals appearances, while Flipkens, 26, had never before reached a championship match.
It didn’t look that way on Sunday, as she dispatched Hradecka, of the Czech Republic, in 69 minutes.
Her triumph punctuated a week that included a first-round upset of top-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova and a semi-final win over third-seeded German Mona Barthel.
Flipkens’ previous best WTA showings were four trips to the semi-finals, most recently at ‘s-Hertogenbosch this year.