France's Loïs Boisson wins first WTA title in Hamburg
"This is the first time I've given a [tournament winner's] speech, so please bear with me," the 22-year-old said before offering a simple "Danke" ("Thank you") to the German crowd.
Boisson hit headlines last month when as a wild card in her Grand Slam main-draw debut and ranked 361 st in the world she reached the French Open last four before being beaten by eventual winner Coco Gauff.
Boisson, now ranked 63 rd and set to join the top 50 on Monday, lost her first qualifying match on grass at Wimbledon, but back on her favored surface, clay, returned to winning ways.
Bondar, ranked 77, had got off to a flying start with a double-break for 4-0. The Hungarian served for the set at 5-2, but was unable to close in that game, and Boisson took full advantage. The Frenchwoman wrapped up her first-set comeback with another break, winning the last five games in a row. At the start of the second set, Bondar, who won the final on this same court last year when the tournament was not yet a WTA 250 event, broke serve.
But Boisson erased the break with a dropshot winner to earn a love break and pull back on serve at 3-3. She dug deep to break for 5-3, staving off a break point in the last game and grabbed her first WTA title.
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