By Chris Oddo | Sunday September 20, 2015

 

Yanina Wickmayer ended a five-year title drought with a three-set win over Magda Linette on Sunday in Tokyo.

Photo: Japan Women's Open

The last five years haven’t produced the biggest bounty for Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer, but the 25-year-old proved that she can still come up with the goods on Sunday in Tokyo as she capped an unseeded run to the Japan Women’s Open title with a comeback win over Rising Star Magda Linette.

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Trailing 6-4, 2-0, Wickmayer came back to win 12 of the final 16 games to clinch her 4th career title, and first since 2010. After taking out Flavia Pennetta in the 2010 Auckland final, Wickmayer had lost her last five finals.

This week she defeated 5th-seeded Johanna Larsson and 7th-seeded Ajla Tomljanovic before dispatching Linette in the final.

"A lot has happened—it's been five years," the World No. 86 said, according to WTATennis.com. "There have been some injuries, but those are just a part of the job, and part of the career. And the level of the tour has been growing as well—there's a lot of tough players out there… But going through all of the hard work and tough moments makes winning a lot more special."

Linette, a 23-year-old from Poznan, Poland, is coming off her first ever Grand Slam match win at the US Open. She reached her first career final by defeating second-seeded Zarina Diyas in the first round and sixth-seeded Christina McHale in the semis.