Barbara Rittner ended Klara Koukalova's dream of
winning her debut WTA Tour event, defeating her 6-3 6-2 in the final of the
Benelux Open.
Ranked 66th in the world, and fifth-seeded in this French Open warm-up,
Rittner earned her previous title in 1992 at Schenectady, New York.
She had not played in a final since 1995.
Koukalova, a fixture on the Challenger circuit since turning professional two
years ago, rallied for a three-set win over Spain's Eva Bes on Friday to reach
the final.
Ranked 183rd, the 18-year-old qualifier from the Czech Republic was attempting
to become just the sixth player to win her first tournament.
Ironically, the last time a player won in her first main draw appearance
occurred at this event in 1999, when Belgium's Justine Henin took the title.
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