American Chanda Rubin set about ending her Wimbledon nightmare after collecting one of the biggest wins of her injury-hit career.

Rubin, the 26-year-old daughter of a Louisiana judge, has never been beyond the third round at the All England Club and has fallen at the first hurdle in each of the last three years.

But she has begun to re-capture the form which earned her a top-10 world ranking in this week's Britannic Asset Management International Championships, and on Saturday secured the fourth title of her career by lifting the Eastbourne crown at her 10th attempt.

Rubin, runner-up at Devonshire Park in 1995, took just 51 minutes to end her 10-year wait by securing a 6-1 6-3 victory over 20-year-old Russian Anastasia Myskina, who lost her second final in seven days.

Rubin, who scooped the £64,566 top prize, said: "It's definitely a highlight.

"I've been coming here so long, although I didn't realise it was 10 years, and it's very sweet to win it at last.

"It's a good warm-up tournament for Wimbledon and I hope I can now change my Wimbledon streak."

Ranked sixth in the world at the height of her powers in 1996, Rubin is on way back after two knee operations.

And although unseeded at Wimbledon after dropping to 37th place, she will nevertheless be a dangerous opponent.

Rubin will also be encouraged by statistics unearthed by WTA officials which reveal that, since 1971, 77 per cent the winners of grass-court warm-up tournaments have reached the last eight at Wimbledon.

The American will be aiming to join the 18 pre-Wimbledon winners who have gone on to reach the final, or even the 11 who went on to win the singles title. Jana Novotna was the last Eastbourne champion to lift the Venus Rosewater dish in 1998.

"I don't think I've played my best tennis yet," warned Rubin.

"I feel I could have returned better and that's something I am going to work on. I was just solid and aggressive enough."

Myskina, beaten in straight sets by Jelena Dokic in the DFS Classic at Edgbaston last week, went into the match in the best form of her life after putting out seeds Patty Schnyder and Daniela Hantuchova in earlier rounds.

But, for the second time in seven days, she saved her worst form when it mattered most and had to be content with a runners-up cheque for £34,366.

Myskina, seeded 18 at Wimbledon, reached the third round at the All England Club in 2000 after beating Belgian Kim Clijsters and insists she is capable of reaching the quarter-finals this time.

"This was my second final and I was a bit tired," said Myskina, a member of the Russian team at the Sydney Olympics.

"My concentration was not good, but Chanda played really great.

"I had to be 100 per cent to play great and I wasn't.

"I have to improve a lot of things but I'll rest, sleep, eat and practise a little bit and I'll be ready for Wimbledon."

The Muscovite double-faulted on break point in her second service game and lost her serve twice more against the powerful girl from Louisiana.

Myskina, who celebrates her 21st birthday the day after the Wimbledon finals, rarely got a chance to use her dangerous two-handed backhand against an opponent who mixed her game up superbly and kept her unforced errors to a minimum.

Meanwhile, the LTA have announced a new deal with Britannic Asset Management to sponsor the Eastbourne tournament for the next three years.

Lisa Raymond, of the United States, and Australian Rennae Stubbs, the Wimbledon doubles champions and top seeds, retained their Eastbourne title with a 6-7 7-6 6-2 victory over Cara Black, of Zimbabwe, and Russia's Elena Likhovtseva.