Kerber claims first tour title in Paris

Paris: Germany`s Angelique Kerber stunned home favourite Marion Bartoli 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 to win the Paris Open on Sunday and seal the first WTA Tour title of her career.

Second seed Bartoli, the world number seven, was looking for her first trophy on home soil and Maria Sharapova`s quarter-final defeat by Kerber seemed to have opened the door for the Frenchwoman. However, left-hander Kerber raised her game again with a confident display in the hardcourt final silencing the crowd at the Stade Coubertin. "It`s unbelievable. It`s my first title, I don`t know what to say. It was a difficult match, I battled for every point. It`s been a fantastic week," Kerber told reporters. The ninth seed and world number 27`s win came in the 20th edition of the Paris Open. Bartoli was gracious in defeat. "The effort produced was enormous on both sides. It is going to be hard to recover, physically and mentally," she said. Bureau Report