It took Nathalie Dechy just one week to reach her goal for the year.

The 23-year-old Frenchwoman earned the first WTA Tour title of her career on Saturday by outlasting Swiss teenager Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian 6-3 3-6 6-3 at the Uncle Tobys Hardcourts.

"It was one of my goals for this year to win a WTA Tour title," Dechy said.

"So to do it in the very first week of the year is wonderful."

After receiving a first-round bye, Dechy, seeded two, defeated Australian Nicole Pratt, eighth seed Barbara Schett and fourth seed Elena Bovina for a place in the final during her fifth trip to the Gold Coast.

She's looking forward to returning.

"I had some very tough matches this week, against Nicole and Elena, and today's match was just as difficult," she said.

"I'm very glad to win my first title here on the Gold Coast and I'm looking forward to coming back."

Mikaelian upset countrywoman Patty Schnyder, the top seed, in the semi-finals before running out of magic.

She was seeking her second career WTA Tour title, having won last year at Tashkent.

"Of course I'm disappointed to lose today," she said.

"But I've had a great week. It's given me a lot of confidence for the rest of the Australian circuit."

Mikaelian defeated a pair of seeded players but failed to overcome a left thigh and calf strain against Dechy, who was better on the crucial points.

"When I got back to 4-3 after being down 4-0 in the third set, I believed I could win the match," the 18-year-old Mikaelian said.

"But she was just too good for me."

While Dechy claimed her first singles title, she lost the doubles final with countrywoman Emilie Loit.

Martina Navratilova of the United States earned her 167th doubles crown, teaming up with Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to claim a 6-4 6-4 triumph.