Qualifier Zarina Diyas from Kazakhstan beat Japan’s Miyu Kato 6-2 7-5 to win the ninth edition of the Japan Open WTA International Tournament in Tokyo. The 23-year-old player from Kazakhstan, who is ranked world number 100, completed her dream week in which she beat second seed Zhang Shuai, Yulia Putintseva and defending champion Christina McHale in the semifinal. Kato has become the first Japanese player to qualify for the final in the Japan Open since 2010 when Kimiko Date Krumm lost to Tamarine Tanasugarn.
In the first set Diyas opened with an early break in the opening game. The next games went on serve until the seventh game when the Kazakhstan qualifier got a double break to open up a 5-2 lead, as Kato made a double fault, and earned the chance to serve out for the set.
Both players went on serve in the second set until the fifth game, when Diyas broke serve on her fifth break point to take a 3-2 lead. Kato broke straight back in the next game to draw level to 3-3. Diyas broke again in the 11th game and served out for the match in the next game to seal the win. Diyas played her second final at this tournament three years after finishing runner-up to Samantha Stosur in Osaka.
Diyas is the first qualifier to win a WTA tournament this year after Elise Mertens in Hobart and Marketa Vondrousova in Biel.
