Berliner Tageblatt - Kasatkina defeats Saville to capture WTA Granby title

Kasatkina captured her sixth career WTA crown after claiming another hardcourt title earlier this month at San Jose.

Saville swatted a forehand volley wide to surrender a break in the eighth game of the second set, slamming her racquet against the court in frustration.

The Aussie broke back in the ninth game and saved four match points in the 10th game before Kasatkina broke to claim the title when Saville sent a forehand wide.

World number 73 Saville was in her first WTA final since Hong Kong in October 2017 and her fifth in all. Saville's only WTA title came at another event the week before the US Open, in 2017 at New Haven.

Kasatkina, 25, is from Russia but cannot represent her homeland under rules imposed by the tour following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The 28-year-old Russian-born Saville is having a comeback season following Achilles tendon surgery. She fell to 0-3 against Kasatkina in their first meeting since 2017.

Kasatkina, the US Open 10th seed, will face Britain's 98th-ranked Harriet Dart in her first match on the New York hardcourts.

J.Bergmann--BTB