Arantxa Rus claims first ever WTA Tour title, ends Cinderella run of Akugue at Hamburg European Open

No.7 seed Arantxa Rus has halted the Cinderella run of Noma Noha Akugue 6-0, 7-6(3) in the final of the Hamburg European Open to seal her maiden WTA Tour title.

32-year-old Rus became the eighth first time champion so far this season in a one hour, 45 minute win joining Zhu Lin (Hua Hin), Alycia Parks (Lyon), Marta Kostyuk (Austin), Lucia Bronzetti (Rabat), Katie Boulter (Nottingham), Maria Timofeeva (Budapest) and Zheng Qinwen (Palermo) in doing so.

It was a perfect start for Rus who won the opening set without the loss of a game and in under an hour. The second set saw Akugue come into the tie.

She broke serve in the first game to get on the board and they stayed even from there with Rus sealing an immediate break back.

Akugue showed superb spirit showing what took her to the final saving two championship points and forcing a tiebreak in which she saved two more.

But this was eventually broken and despite leaving Hamburg with plenty of credit, it is Rus that leaves with the title and the plaudits.