Belinda Bencic continued her strong run of form in the United States as she defeated world number 10 Ons Jabeur 6-1 5-7 6-4 to win the Charleston Open.
Sunday’s success made it 10 victories from her past 11 matches for Bencic, with the lone defeat coming in a semi-final against Naomi Osaka at the Miami Open.
The Swiss Olympic gold medallist flew out of the gates in the opening set, winning 80 per cent of her points on serve (16 of 20) and breaking Jabeur twice.
It was a far more competitive second set as Jabeur’s return game improved, the Tunisian also saving six of eight break points to force a decider.
Bencic prevailed in a rollercoaster of a third set, where Jabeur converted two breaks of serve, but the eventual champion managed three, finding a response every time she was challenged.
Jabeur becomes the second top-10 scalp claimed by Bencic this tournament after also defeating world number three Paula Badosa in three sets in the quarter-finals.