Ekaterina Alexandrova picked up her first-ever WTA tour title after defeating Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina 6-2, 6-4 in the final in Shenzhen, China on Saturday. 

The fifth seed, playing in only her second WTA title clash and first since Linz in 2018, breezed through the first set and staved off a potential comeback from her Kazakh opponent in the next to become the first tour champion of 2020.

In the opening set, Rybakina was on the way to being broken when she was met with a forehand winner from her opponent. The fifth seed wrapped up the set 6-2 with a huge smash. 

The second set was tense. The pair had a long exchange, and eventually it was the 7th seed who won the point with a backhand winner. Alexandrova then leveled the score at 4-4 before breaking Rybakina's serve. As Alexandrova got to match point later, Rybakina hit wide. With that, the Russian sealed a 6-2, 6-4 win in 73 minutes, and can now enter the Australian Open full of confidence.

"It means a lot because the first one is always special," Alexandrova said. 

"I was playing my second final, first wasn't good for me and I was trying to do my best to get this one. I didn't expect the first set would be so easy, because I know she plays so well. In the second set, I think she played well, and I was lucky when it was 4-4 with a net, and that gave me three breakpoints. After that, she was nervous, and I think it helped me."