Sports News | Rus Defeats German Teenager Noha Akugue in Hamburg European Open Final for 1st WTA Title

Hamburg, Jul 29 (AP) Experienced Dutch player Arantxa Rus defeated German teenager Noma Noha Akugue 6-0, 7-6 (3) in the final of the Hamburg European Open on Saturday for her first WTA tour title.

It was the first final for both players. The 19-year-old Noha Akugue was making her WTA tournament debut as a wild card in her hometown, while the 32-year-old Rus was the oldest first-time WTA finalist since 34-year-old Tzipora Obziler in Guangzhou, China in 2007.

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"I think today, I didn't have too much support, but it was a very good atmosphere,” said Rus, who dedicated the trophy to her father.

Rus coped better with the pressure early on as Noha Akugue's play was marred by a slew of unforced errors. Altogether the teenager had 46 unforced errors, compared to 23 from her opponent.

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The 207th-ranked Noha Akugue improved drastically in the second set and saved two match points to excite the crowd. But Rus dug in to wrap up the result in 1 hour, 45 minutes in the tiebreaker.

"I hope I can come back next year and maybe win the tournament,” Noha Akugue said. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)