Shnaider tops Vekic to win Bad Homburg title

Twenty-year-old Diana Shnaider

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Shanider's first WTA 500-level victory, in her tournament debut, adds to a season in which she won her first tour-level singles title at Hua Hin in February, and makes her the sixth -- and youngest -- player to win multiple singles titles on tour this year. She joins World No.1 Iga Swiatek

View Profile , who has a tour-leading five titles, three-time champions Elena Rybakina

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Having already entered the tournament at a career-high ranking of No.47, Shnaider will rise to No.30 in Monday's edition of the PIF WTA Rankings after a week that also saw her beat three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, Australian Open semifinalist Dayana Yastremska

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View Profile . This time last year, she was barely inside the Top 100 at No.98.

"It was an amazing week for me ... I managed to play one of the best weeks of my life, so I hope I will just keep going like this," Shnaider said afterwards. 

A high-quality final saw both players hit more winners than unforced errors, and combine for 16 aces. However, efficiency on break points proved crucial: Shnaider converted four of her six chances, and saved 10 of the whopping 13 chances Vekic had against her -- allowing her to win the match despite winning six fewer total points.

Clutch play helped Shnaider take a one set lead, as she held serve in a seven-deuce game for 5-2 -- saving two break points along the way. To serve out the set, she saved a staggering seven more break points across nine deuces, and eventually wrapped up the set on her fourth set point.

In all, Shnaider hit 31 winners -- plus nine aces -- to 20 unforced errors, while Vekic wrapped up with 40 winners and 21 unforced errors. 

Shnaider is the first player younger than age 21 to win a grass-court singles title since Sofia Kenin

View Profile in Mallorca five years ago. Before that, it was Vekic in Nottingham in 2017. 

Melichar-Martinez and Perez rally for doubles title

The doubles final was also decided in three sets, and No.1 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez rallied from a set down to defeat Chan Hao-ching and Veronika Kudermetova

View Profile , 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

The American and Aussie duo picked up their third title together, and second this year, with the victory. They previously triumphed in San Diego in March, which broke a 10-match losing streak for Melichar-Martinez in WTA finals -- eight of which were with Perez.