Kristyna Pliskova overcame Nao Hibino in the Tashkent Open final on Saturday to earn her maiden top-tier title on the WTA Tour.
Kristyna Pliskova wins WTA Tashkent Open
Nao Hibino's defence of her Tashkent Open title fell at the final hurdle as Kristyna Pliskova claimed her first top-tier WTA crown.
Pliskova won the 125k event in Dalian in September thanks to a good deal of fortune - she was 5-2 30-0 down in the final set against Misa Eguchi when her opponent was forced to retire hurt with a knee injury.
But there could be no doubting the merit of this triumph as Pliskova ousted the defending champion 6-2 2-6 6-3.
Hibino had routed Donna Vekic 6-2 6-2 in last year's final, but she found Saturday's opponent a much sterner prospect.
A pair of breaks put Pliskova on her way to claiming the first set, but Hibino hit back in the second, reeling off five successive games from 2-1 down.
Pliskova broke for a 4-2 lead in the decider and after fending off a break point at 5-3, a crushing cross-court forehand sealed her triumph.
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