American Alison Riske has recovered from an opening set bagel and saved five championship points to stun home favourite Kiki Bertens 0-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 to lift the Libema Open title in Rosmalen.
Bertens had three match points at 5-4 in the second set on Sunday, but her American opponent came through with a string of volleys at the net to hold for 5-5.
The Dutch top seed then had two more match points in the 12th game, but Riske saved one of them with a volley, and then produced a sublime lob shot to force a tiebreak. Riske raced ahead 3-0 in the tiebreak and eventually won it 7-3.
Both players exchanged early breaks in the decider before rain interrupted play at 3-3.
Riske returned stronger to break her Dutch opponent in the final game to clinch her first title, five years after her first in Tianjin.
The defeat comes as a blow for world No.4 Bertens, who was chasing her third title of the season following victories in St Petersburg and Madrid earlier this season.
In the men’s draw, Australian Jordan Thompson is playing his maiden ATP final against Adrian Mannarino.
He’s currently trailing the Frenchman 7-6 (9-7) 1-0 in the second set.