Kurumi Nara surprised by Rio Open success

Rio Open champion Kurumi Nara has admitted that she had not expected to win the clay-court event.

The 22-year-old, who prefers to play on hard courts, claimed her first ever WTA singles title by beating top seed Klara Zakopalova 6-1 4-6 6-1 in Sunday's final.

"I love Rio," she told reporters. "I can't believe I won the tournament, but I am very happy."

Nara, who is already the highest ranked female in Japan, is now expected to climb into the WTA's top 50 for the first time later today.

"I don't want to think too much about being number one in Japan," she said. "I just want to focus on my game every game."

Rafael Nadal won the men's title in Rio, beating Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3 7-6 in the final.

Written by
Robert Summerscales