Qualifier Samsonova downs Bencic in Berlin to win first WTA title
Qualifier Liudmila Samsonova capped her breakthrough week on Sunday by winning her first WTA title with victory over Belinda Bencic in the final of the Berlin grass court tournament.
Samsonova, 22, made a mockery of her world ranking of 106 to recover from losing the first set to earn a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Swiss fifth seed Bencic.
It was another display of power tennis from the Russian who stunned former world number one Victoria Azarenka in Saturday's semi-final.
Despite having her service broken twice in losing the first set, Samsonova immediately applied pressure at the start of the second.
She racing into a 4-0 lead to serve out the set, which she won by blasting down seven aces without reply.
Bencic, ranked 12th in the world, was broken again at the start of the deciding set and Samsonova applied enough pressure at 5-3 up to convert her second match point.