Sam Stosur Fed Cup Australia vs. Germany
Australia's Samantha Stosur hits a return to Germany's Andrea Petkovic during their Fed Cup World Group tennis match in Stuttgart, April 22, 2012. REUTERS/Thomas Peter REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Australia’s top-ranked players Bernard Tomic and Sam Stosur claimed titles in separate tournaments over the weekend. Tomic successfully defended his title at the 2015 Claro Open, while Stosur upset Karin Knapp to win the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in Austria.

Tomic has preserved his Claro Open title after seeing off Adrian Mannarino in three sets 6-1 3-6 6-2 on Monday (AEST). The Australian dispatched Mannarino in one hour and 33 minutes. Tomic was down in the second set, but saved three break points in the third game to force a decider and successfully clinched a second title in the Colombian capital. Tomic’s victory means he is undefeated in nine matches in Bogota.

Despite involved in a series of mess recently including his row with Tennis Australia and being arrested in Miami, the Australian No. 1 is happy with his performance in terms of his game this season. “It’s been a good year,” Tomic was quoted saying in an article by ATPWorldTour.com. “I started at No. 70 and am now close to No. 20, it’s been a good seven months.”

Tomic added that he will try to play well in the coming months so he can improve his ranking and even be in the top 15. Tomic is at 25th spot, as per the most recent world rankings.

In other news, Australia’s top-ranked female player Stosur has also brought pride for the country after beating Italy’s Knapp in the finale of the Bad Gastein WTA event in Austria. The 31-year-old defeated Knapp 3-6 7-6 6-2 on Monday (AEST).

Stosur lost the opening set, but rallied to claim the second set on a tiebreak. She eventually clinched the third set in the match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes. Stosur’s victory was her eighth career title, her second for the season after winning the Strasbourg title. She has now moved two places up to 21st in the world rankings.

Stosur admitted on her website that the finals match against third seed Knapp was a tough one. She said she was “completely outplayed” in the first set, but she hung in there and after winning the second set, she got her game back to win the title. It is anticipated that the former World No. 4 will take part in the fourth grand slam of the season at the US Open, which she won in 2011.

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