Collins beats Ruse in Palermo final for 1st WTA title

PALERMO, Italy (AP) — Top-seeded Danielle Collins won her first WTA title on Sunday, beating qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 6-2 in the Palermo Ladies Open final.

The 44th-ranked Collins was playing in her first career final while her opponent was aiming for her second title in two weeks.

The 27-year-old American lost a three-set quarterfinal to Ruse two weeks ago in Hamburg, where the Romanian went on to win as a qualifier.

Collins, who did not drop a set at the tournament, is the 14th first-time singles champion so far this WTA season.

___

More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports