Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas defeated local favorite Miyu Kato to win the Japan Women’s Open tennis championship, the Central Asian player’s first WTA tour title.
The 6-2, 7-5 victory on September 17 in Tokyo was the second Japan Open finals appearance for the 23-year-old Diyas.
Diyas, ranked 100th in the world coming into the tournament, had lost in the finals of the Japan Open in 2014, when it was held in Osaka.
This time, she got off to a fast start and held on for the win over fellow qualifier Kato.
"It was a really tough match. I had to work for every point," said Diyas, who had wrist surgery last year.
Diyas beat defending champion Christina McHale of the United States a day earlier to reach the final match.
