Scheepers ends South African WTA title drought

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GUANGHZOU, China: Chanelle Scheepers ended an eight year drought for South Africa here on Saturday as she won her maiden WTA title beating Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-2, 6-2.

The 27-year-old seventh seed - the first South African to win a WTA trophy since Amanda Coetzee in 2003 - had her easiest match of the week in disposing of the eighth seed.

Prior to that she had battled through each round with three set victores including having to fight back from 4-1 down in the deciding set to beat top seed Maria Kirilenko in the semi-final.

Scheepers - who could well improve on her highest ever ranking of 65 in May this year when the new rankings are released on Monday - took just under an hour-and-a-half in beating her under-par opponent, who had won her previous two WTA finals.

"Scheepers - who had never been beyond the quarter-finals on the WTA circuit - said to emulate Coetzee was really special.