Eighth-seeded Veronika Kudermetova won her first title of the season and second overall, beating world number four Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-1 in the final of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Sunday.
The aggressive Kudermetova didn’t waste much time delivering the potent blows from the backline and broke American Pegula early for a 3-0 lead, but dropped her own serve in the fifth game before allowing her opponent to tie the first set.
An ill-timed double fault from Pegula gave Kudermetova the first set, and the Russian, world number 19, again increased her intensity in the next set when she went ahead 5-1 before closing out the match on her third matchpoint with a great serve.