Vekic Wins First WTA Singles Title At 2014 BMW M'sian Open

KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Bernama) -- Seventeen year-old Donna Vekic won her maiden Women's Tennis Association (WTA) singles title in style by clinching the 2014 BMW Malaysian Open, Sunday. The 17-year-old Croatian took the crown after beating the more illustrious Dominika Cibulkova, who is currently ranked 10th in the world, 5-7, 7-5 and 7-6 in two hours 52 minutes. "I am very shocked right now...so happy with this win. It is my first WTA singles title win. The match was very tough. I am very tired right now. She (Cibulkova) played so well tonight (Sunday). I just tried to be calm and play my best tennis and it was not easy to win this game," she told reporters when met after the match at Royal Selangor Golf Club (RSGC), here Sunday night. Vekic, ranked 95th, admitted to feeling good to win the match before her family, while keeping high hopes to gain more victories. Early this year, Vekic had lost to Cibulkova at the Indian Well Open, United States of America. The victory came with a US$43,000 (RM139,342.00) prize money for Vekic. Meanwhile, top seeds Timea Babos of Hungary and Chinese Taipei's Chan Hao-Ching combined to beat Chinese Taipei's Chan Yung-Jan and China's Zheng Saisai, 6-3, 6-4 to win the doubles title. "In the beginning we were struggling a little but we found an aggressive way to overcome them, and I feel we controlled the match pretty good," said 20-year-old Babos. Hao-Ching who met her sister, Yung-Jan on the court in final said it was difficult to play against her sister. "Every time I played against Yung-Jan, it was tough because in one match, there will be one loser and one winner. However, I do not feel it is important because playing against my sister was always good, especially in a final," said Hao-Ching. -- BERNAMA