China's Zhu Lin stays in top form, beating Tsurenko in Thailand Open final
29-year-old has also stood out early this season in Auckland and at Australian Open
Zhu Lin of China won her maiden career title after beating Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Thailand Open on Sunday.
In a match lasting one hour and 45 minutes, both players exchanged nail-biting baseline rallies before Zhu finally found a way past her determined opponent in Hua Hin.
The 29-year-old Chinese player managed a break to go up 5-3 in the first set. Although she was broken to love in the following game, Zhu returned the favour, also to love, to take the opening set in 46 minutes.
The second saw players trade breaks with Zhu eventually securing her first match point at 5-3. She sprayed a shot wide to miss the chance but capitalized on her third in the 10th game with a backhand winner.
"I'm so happy to finally win my first tour title. All the hard work finally paid off," said the No. 54-ranked Zhu, who will crack the top 50 when the new WTA rankings are updated on Monday.
Zhu has started the season strongly, reaching the quarterfinals in Auckland and the last 16 at the Australian Open.
Inside top 100
The victory also allowed Zhu to avenge her loss to the Ukrainian at the WTA Dubai Championships back in 2019.
Despite the loss, the No. 136-ranked Tsurenko, 33, will return to the top 100.
Tsurenko reached her first final in four years after the top-seeded Bianca Andreescu of Mississauga, Ont., retired with a shoulder injury during their semifinal match on Saturday.
WATCH | Injured Andreescu leaves Thailand Open in semifinal:
Tsurenko, who was in search of her fifth WTA title, was leading the 2019 U.S. Open champion 7-5, 4-0 when the Canadian stopped playing. Andreescu entered the match having not lost a set this week.
Andreescu advanced to the semifinal with a 6-0, 7-6 (3) win over Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine on Friday.
Andreescu was looking for her first tournament win since the 2019 U.S. Open, as well as high-level events in Toronto and Indian Wells, Calif.
Alycia Parks upends top seed for 1st title
Unseeded American Alycia Parks secured a stunning 7-6 (7), 7-5 upset win over WTA Finals champion Caroline Garcia in the Open Metropole de Lyon final to clinch her first career title on Sunday.
"I think France has a special part in my heart right now," Parks said. "I'll be back next year."
The 22-year-old Parks, who is ranked 79th, had 15 aces and saved all four break points against the top-seeded Garcia.
Parks secured the only break of a tight contest to win the match.
The fifth-ranked Garcia, a U.S. Open semifinalist last year, was seeking a 12th career title.
"Congrats on a great tournament," Garcia told Parks in English. "If you keep playing like this for sure you're going to keep going up [the rankings]."
Parks has a career-best ranking of 75th.
The 29-year-old Garcia, who grew up in Lyon, took time to thank her home crowd — this time in French.
