HOBART  - German qualifier Mona Barthel upset Belgian top seed Yanina Wickmayer to win the Hobart WTA International on Saturday. Barthel, 21, ranked 64, capped an outstanding week with a 6-1, 6-2 victory in one hour in the final.
It was Barthel's eighth straight match at the WTA tournament, progressing from qualifying to the final and beating the first, second, fourth and fifth seeds in the process.
Barthel won her maiden WTA title in her first final with a display of composure and precision, rounding off the tournament with an ace. Barthel had already beaten second seed Anabel Medina Garrigues, fourth seed Angelique Kerber and Australian fifth seed and defending champion Jarmila Gajdosova on her way to US$37,000 in prize money. The German will play British doubles partner and world No.75 Anne Keothavong in the first round of next week's Australian Open.