Sara Errani defeated Barbora Strycova 6-0, 6-2 yesterday to win the Dubai Tennis Championships, three years after first reaching the final.
The Italian will rise back into the top 20 as a result of her comprehensive victory in 66 minutes, according to WTA calculations.
Strycova made a stand at the end, saving four match points over the last two games before drilling a forehand out to lose for the sixth time in seven meetings with Errani.
Errani, who won the first eight games, lost the 2013 final in Dubai to Petra Kvitova. She now owns nine career titles.
“I have no words,” the first Italian woman to win the Dubai trophy said.
“I’m sorry for Barbora, it was not her day. It was a really tough match. I’m really happy to win this event, it was a difficult week for me. I don’t know how I got this far. But I’m very happy for myself and my team.”
Errani ran off the first eight games with Czech Strycova barely getting a look in.
The 29-year-old underdog got a round of applause as she finally broke her duck by winning a game to trail 6-0, 2-1.
But the success was short-lived, with Errani continuing her momentum to reach 5-1.
She was briefly sidetracked as Strycova saved a match point to hold for 2-5.
In the next game, Errani encountered troubles in closing out the win, finally going through to the trophy on her fifth match point as Strycova sent a forehand out.
“I was not so calm at the end, I was trying not to think of all the match points,” Errani said. “I was still nervous inside.”
Strycova was gracious in defeat: “I tried everything, but it was so hard. I’m very happy to have played the final.”