Monterrey, Aug 25 (IANS): Czech teenager Linda Noskova claimed the first WTA singles title of her career at the Abierto GNP Seguros. In a hard-fought final, the 19-year-old Noskova, seeded sixth, defeated New Zealand's Lulu Sun 7-6(6), 6-4 at the WTA 500 event.

Noskova, currently ranked World No.35, needed 1 hour and 49 minutes to secure the win against the 57th-ranked Sun. The match was a close contest, with Noskova saving two set points in the first-set tiebreak before taking control to claim the title.

This win came after Noskova’s earlier final losses to Aryna Sabalenka at the 2023 Adelaide tournament and Nao Hibino at the 2023 Prague Open.

For both Noskova and Sun, the Monterrey final represented a chance to win their first WTA title. Sun, who had never progressed beyond a quarterfinal at tour-level before this event, had a breakthrough performance last month, reaching the Wimbledon quarterfinals as a qualifier.

Noskova has also made her mark on the Grand Slam stage this year, reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where she notably defeated World No.1 Iga Swiatek. Since winning the 2022 Junior Roland Garros title, Noskova has been considered a rising star in the tennis world.

The Monterrey final was the second encounter between Noskova and Sun in recent weeks, with Sun having won their previous meeting in the opening round of the Cincinnati Open. However, Noskova turned the tables this time, emerging victorious in Monterrey to capture her first WTA title.