Eleni Daniilidou may be Greek but her favourite city is fast becoming Auckland in New Zealand.

In the final of the ASB Bank Classic, Daniilidou successfully defended her title by defeating American Ashley Harkleroad for whom this has been a stellar week.

Harkleroad reached the final against most expectations, but she found Daniilidou just too strong, losing 6-3 6-2.

In becoming the first repeat winner here since Patty Fendick in 1988-89, Daniilidou stymied the 18-year-old American in just over an hour.

She earned the first prize worth £14,000 and will collect 95 rankings points.

The third-seeded Daniilidou, 21, began play this week ranked 30th in the world and will climb to 23rd following her third career title.

She has won 10 straight matches here and it would not be amiss to write off her chances of lasting well into the second week at the upcoming Australian Open.

"This is so great. In the presentation I was almost not able to speak because I felt so much," said Daniilidou.

"I think I will never forget today.

"At the beginning of the week I said that I was so happy to be back in Auckland, because I love this place, now I am two times happy!"

The unseeded Harkleroad, who was participating in her first WTA Tour final, entered the tournament ranked 55th in the world.

She had a 3-1 lead in the first set before Daniilidou won the next five games to take the set.

"Today I just didn't have it," said Harkleroad.

"She did a great job of running me side to side and she was very accurate, hardly making any mistakes.

"She has a great backhand slice and it was very windy and difficult to control the ball. It was her day today."

Daniilidou added: "I was very tight at the beginning and after 1-3 I came again into my game.

"These first few matches of the year it is very hard to focus and concentrate on a whole match.

"You play one good point and three or four bad ones. That's why getting many matches before the Australian Open is so important."

Harkleroad is expected to climb to 43rd with this performance.

"I wasn't really nervous this morning - I tried to treat it like any other match, although I think I was a little excited and had some butterfly nerves," she said.

"This was a great start to the 2004 year; it's given me a lot of confidence."