Second seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine clinched her 15th career title and second this season by beating fifth seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 6-4 1-6 6-2 in chilly conditions of the Internationaux de Strasbourg final.
After losing the one-sided second set, the world No.5 Svitolina saved four break points to hold serve in the opening game of the decider and then stormed through the final four games of the match to win her first career meeting with Rybakina in one hour and 52 minutes.
After a first-round bye at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, Svitolina recovered from a double-break down and fended off a set point in the second set to beat Magda Linette in the second round, in the quarterfinals she recovered from a break down in each set to ease past Jil Teichmann, and then earned a hard-fought semifinal win over world No.12 Aryna Sabalenka to record her second victory over a Top 20 player this season and 60th overall.
The Ukrainian is now going to the French Open on the back of her fifth claycourt triumph in as many finals.
