Tennis-American Riske stuns home favourite Bertens to lift title in Rosmalen

American Alison Riske recovered from an opening set bagel and saved five championship points as she stunned home favourite Kiki Bertens 0-6 7-6(3) 7-5 to lift the Libema Open title in Rosmalen on Sunday. Bertens had three match points at 5-4 in the second set, but her American opponent came through with a string of volleys at the net to hold for 5-5.

The Dutch top seed then had two more match points in the 12th game, but Riske saved one of them with a volley, and then produced a sublime lob shot to force a tiebreak. Riske raced ahead 3-0 in the tiebreak and eventually won it 7-3. Both players exchanged early breaks in the decider before rain interrupted play at 3-3.

Riske returned stronger to break her Dutch opponent in the final game to clinch her first title, five years after her first in Tianjin. The defeat comes as a blow for world number four Bertens, who was chasing her third title of the season following victories in St Petersburg and Madrid earlier this season.