Tennis: Marketa Vondrousova clinches first title at Biel Bienne Open

Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic wins the final match against Anett Kontaveit of Estonia at the WTA Ladies Open tennis tournament in Biel, Switzerland, on April 16, 2017. PHOTO: EPA

Biel, Switzerland (AFP) - World No. 233 Marketa Vondrousova won her first title on Sunday when the 17-year-old defeated Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) in the Biel Bienne final.

The Czech teenager came through qualifying at the hard court event, and knocked out top-seeded compatriot Barbora Strycova in the semi-finals.

"It's the biggest win of my career, because I'd mostly played smaller tournaments," said left-hander Vondrousova, who was playing in just her second main draw on the WTA Tour.

"This was one of my first big tournaments, and I was injured in my left elbow for a lot of last year. I had to do a lot of fitness, which helped me become a better mover. Now I'm playing really great.

"At first, I asked for a qualifying wildcard because I wasn't sure if I could get in without one. Once I got into qualifiers, I almost lost my first match, but I got better and better from there."

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