Eastbourne, United Kingdom---Belinda Bencic defeated Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 at Eastbourne on Saturday to win the first title of her career and hailed the influence of superstar compatriot Martina Hingis.
The trophy breakthrough for the 18-year-old Swiss denied the ninth-seeded Pole, and 2012 Wimbledon finalist, a second title at Devonshire Park on the English south coast.
Bencic, coached part-time by Hingis and by Hingis's mother Melanie Molitor, was playing in the third final of her career.
She was beaten this month in the grass-court final at 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands by Italian Camila Giorgi.
The youngster credited the Hingis team with "teaching me everything I know".
"Martina gives me a lot of good advice, not just this week but all the time. Also I practice with her mom, so she's my coach when I'm back at home.
"Of course they have been big influence on my game."
Bencic got away to a treble break in the third set for 5-0 as she finished the job against the 2008 Eastbourne champion with a forehand winner to the corner.
"This is the biggest day of my career," said the world number 31 who will rise 10 places after her maiden trophy.
"This is a dream come true. I'm so happy to win my first title. I woke up very nervous this morning and even in practise I was nervous.
"But once on the court I tried to fight for every point, I tried my best."
Bencic, who finished with 41 winners and 22 unforced errors, won the opening set in just under an hour.
Radwanska denied the teenager a straight sets victory by taking the second to level after Bencic came back from an early break but lost the set with a backhand long.
In the third, the Swiss quickly recovered her poise to run away to the win in just over two hours.
"I was very focused and really I played very free. I was disappointed I didn't close out the second set. I was also starting to get tired," said Bencic.
"It was a lot of running and, yeah, long rallies. After the 3-0 (third set) I relaxed a little bit and could close it out very good."
Radwanska, close to tears in the trophy ceremony, committed nearly 50 unforced errors.
AFP
