Teenage qualifier Svetlana Kuznetsova won her first career WTA Tour title at the inaugural Nordea Nordic Light Open.

Kuznetsova rallied from a terrible start to defeat Czech Denisa Chladkova 0-6 6-3 7-6 (7/2) in the final of the £98,000 claycourt event.

Playing in only her ninth tournament on the top circuit, she entered this event ranked 123rd in the world.

But she won eight straight matches to take home the top prize of just over £15,000.

The 17-year-old Russian was still playing junior Grand slam events earlier this season, reaching the semi-finals of the French Open and the quarter-finals in Australia.

She won the junior doubles crown at last year's US Open and captured the 2001 Banana Bowl.

Previously, Kuznetsova's best results on the WTA Tour came last month when she reached the quarter-finals at Warsaw and the semi-finals at Casablanca.

This week, the St Petersburg native came through qualifying to oust third-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder in the quarter-finals and Slovakian fifth seed Martina Sucha in the last four.

Chladkova, who ousted top-seeded Italian Silvia Farina Elia in the second round, was looking for her first career title.

The 23-year-old had not won two matches in a row since mid-May before this week.

Kuznetsova, delighted to take home her first senior trophy, recognised she had looked out of sorts in the early stages.

She said: ``I would rather forget the first set ever happened!

``I didn't move well and I made so many unforced errors. But from the second set onwards I got pumped up.

``In the third set tie-break I wasn't nervous at all, although I was a bit nervous during the match, especially at the start.

``It's great to win my first title - that was my goal when I started last Saturday in the qualifiers.''

Despondent Chladkova added: ``This was my third WTA Tour final.

``I felt it was so close, and I'm very disappointed to lose.

``Today I just didn't play well enough - I had my chances at 6-5 in the third set but Svetlana was too good.

``I was ill at the beginning of the year (with glandular fever) but here in Finland I was in good shape. I just wish I had won today!''

Kuznetsova later added the doubles title, playing alongside former world number one Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain.

The top-seeded pair defeated the third-seeded Spanish team of Eva Bes and Maria Jose Martinez, 6-3 6-7 6-3, for their second title together as a duo.