TOKYO (AP) — Veronika Kudermetova upset second-seeded Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-1 to claim the Toray Pan Pacific Open and a second career title on Sunday.
The Russian's triumph in Tokyo ends a four-match losing streak in finals since her maiden title on clay at Charlestown in 2021. It was also her second win over a top-five opponent this week, after beating second-ranked Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.
The eighth-seeded Kudermetova had a fast start Sunday racing to a 3-0 lead on the back of winning ten consecutive points. Pegula, who had dropped only nine games in three matches coming into the final, fought her way back on serve. But the American undid the rally by making back-to-back double faults to give up the first set.
The 26-year-old's powerful ground strokes began to tell in the second set as she broke Pegula twice to race to victory in one hour and 24 minutes.
In the doubles final, Ingrid Neel and Ulrikke Eikeri beat Japanese pair Eri Hozumi and Makoto Ninomiya 3-6, 7-5, 10-5.
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