Russian Maria Kirilenko on Sunday won the first Tier II WTA title of her career as she defeated Anna-Lena Groenfeld of Germany 6-3, 6-4 in a low-key finish to the 585,000-dollar China Open.
Kirilenko, 19, from Moscow, stepped into the final when good friend and fellow Russian top seed Maria Sharapova couldn't continue as a mystery pectoral muscle pain struck her in their semi-final.
A field that began with four former world number one players was quickly whittled away over the week at the Beijing tennis centre.
Lindsay Davenport pulled out injured before the start, holder Serena Williams lost in the first round and Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova quit with injuries before and during matches respectively.
Kirilenko lifted her breakthrough trophy in her first Tier II final, improving her season record to 36 wins, 21 defeats.
Groenefeld threw down six aces and gave Kirilenko problems as the Russian teenager converted only five of her 16 break points in one hour, 47 minutes.
Kirilenko missed a chance to serve out the match in the ninth game of the second set, dropping serve after saving three break points; she recovered to break Groenefeld a game later and claim victory. Before this week, neither player had advanced to a final at this level, with Groenefeld losing a Tier IV title chance earlier this year at Pattaya City and Kirilenko coming up short last season in the final at Hyderabad, India, at that same level.
Groenefeld, 20, finished runner-up in Thailand to Spain's veteran Conchita Martinez.
Kirilenko, the world number 45, needed 53 minutes to win the marathon first set, breaking the 30th-ranked Groenefeld for 4-3 on her way to the early lead.
But the German started clawing back with a break to start the second; Kirilenko levelled at 1-1 with another game against serve as her opponent saved two break points before losing her edge.
Kirilenko moved up a second break for a 3-1 margin as the finish line neared.
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