Google News The Next Asian Star in the Making - Nao Hibino Wins Tashkent Open in Second WTA Appearance
by HARESH
Tennis - Japan's Nao Hibino, playing in only her second WTA main draw event, has captured the WTA Tashkent Open title with a straight sets win over Croatian teenager Donna Vekic on Saturday. Hibino won 6-2, 6-2 to claim the title and become the top-ranked player from Japan, passing compatriots Kurumi Nara and Misaki Doi in the process.
She did not drop a set all of this week. 19-year-old Vekic is currently ranked No. 137 in the world although she has been ranked as high as No. 62 two years ago. Vekic has made a bigger splash in recent times due to her off-court romance with men's World No.
4 Stan Wawrinka. The 20-year-old commented after the win: "First of all I want to congratulate Donna - you've done really great this week, and good luck to you for the rest of the year. I'd also like to thank the sponsors for helping enable this tournament to happen, the tournament staff, ballkids and referees for their contribution to making the tournament better every day, and of course I would really like to thank my coach for supporting me all week in Tashkent.
The peaceful atmosphere and kind people made my stay in Tashkent great this year. I'm so happy to win the first WTA title of my career here in Tashkent, and I really hope I can come back next year". Meanwhile, second seeds Margarita Gasparyan and Alexandra Panova won the doubles title with a 6-1, 3-6, 10-3 win over unseeded duo Vera Dushevina and Katerina Siniakova.
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