American Navarro beats Mertens in Hobart for first WTA title / Photo: MICHAEL BRADLEY - AFP
-
Storms batter Europe hitting power supplies, flights and phones
-
Brazil chooses between Lula and Bolsonaro in nail-biter vote
-
Inter rally late to down Fiorentina and regain Serie A lead
-
Kuwait legal department reviews new commercial concealment law
-
Doha opens ninth World Investment Forum focused on future investment
-
UDST opens Fall 2027 admissions to students in Qatar and abroad
-
Kuwait public works minister and UK ambassador discuss closer cooperation
-
Le Pen begins presidential campaign after violent protests across France
-
Historic Ramallah olive press joins modern production with local tradition
-
Adan Hospital launches catheter-based tricuspid valve replacement programme
-
Hebron operation forces 373 Palestinian families from their homes
-
KIB Group nine-month profit rises 30% to KD 26.6 million
-
John Catlin wins Hong Kong Open and secures first Masters invitation
-
Ladakh declared India’s first fully organic union territory
-
Poland’s WB Group plans $100 million India investment for drone production
-
IRDAI gives stakeholders until October 31 to comment on distribution reforms
-
Insurance deductibles and no-claim bonuses require a careful claims decision
-
Bay cyclone forecast to strike Andhra-Yanam coast at very severe strength
-
Credit-card shortcuts can turn impulse spending into lasting debt
-
Technical outlook diverges for Bharti Airtel, PFC, REC and Alkyl Amines
-
Chicago Fire rally past Atlanta United 3-2 to hold fourth place
-
J&K Bank raises accident cover for government employees to ₹1 crore
-
Pinheiro Braathen wins Soelden giant slalom
-
Serbia on track for high turnout as students challenge ruling party
-
Man Utd's Fernandes dropped by Carrick after Como outburst
-
Pakistan keep England to 241 despite Duckett ton
-
England great Anderson's future unclear after Lancashire exit
-
Ukraine war divides Bulgaria as voters elect president
-
Demonstrators wounded as Portugal police clear housing protest camps
-
Shock and grief in a Jordanian village after church attack
-
Serbia votes as ruling party faces ascendant student movement
-
Top-ranked Rybakina crushes Fernandez to win fourth title of season
-
Police made 1,314 arrests in France's protests: government
-
UK PM calls for 'honest discussion' about EU free movement
-
Catlin to make Masters debut after cruising to Hong Kong win
-
Far-right leader Le Pen kicks off tilt at French presidency amid nationwide protests
-
Katsuragawa hails 'greatest moment' with South Korea win
-
Naomi Osaka could quit tennis if daughter asks her to
-
Japan's Yoshida wins first LPGA Tour title with South Korea win
-
Last MotoGP race at Phillip Island cancelled due to weather in Marquez setback
-
Comeback kings Brewers down Rays to take 2-0 World Series lead
-
Sri Lanka seeks faster green energy shift after oil shocks
-
Sri Lankan turbine project fuels anger as fish hauls plunge
-
Riyadh airport resumes flights following Houthi attacks
-
No LeBron, no problem as Sixers roll on
-
'Call of Duty' North Korea invasion edition tops sales charts in South
-
Israel to close all land crossings with West Bank on election day
-
Musk accuses Ukraine of violating Starlink's terms of service
-
'Tech debt coming due': AI-found flaw signals chaos ahead
-
Fed expected to hold rates steady days ahead of US midterms
American Navarro beats Mertens in Hobart for first WTA title
Fast-rising American Emma Navarro upset two-time champion Elise Mertens to secure her first WTA title on Saturday with a battling 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win at the Hobart International.
In their first career meeting, the 22-year-old outlasted the Belgian top seed over a gruelling 2 hours 48 minutes to write another chapter in her burgeoning career.
This time last year, Navarro was ranked 149 but has since soared to a career-high 31, having also reached the semi-finals in Auckland this month.
She is 8-1 this season heading into the Australian Open, where she will make her main draw debut against China's Wang Xiyu as the 27th seed.
After taking the first set in just 35 minutes, second seed Navarro dropped the second as Mertens fought back.
The Belgian, who won back-to-back Hobart titles in 2017 and 2018, looked on track to take the third set and secure the championship when she held a 5-4 lead.
But Navarro won the next two games to swing the momentum back in her favour and closed out the match.
F.Schneider--AMWN
