Francesca Schiavone wins Rio de Janeiro Open crown
Sunday 21 February 2016 23:12, UK
Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has won her first title since 2013 after she defeated Shelby Rogers of the United States 2-6 6-2 6-2 in the final of the Rio de Janeiro Open.
The Italian, who is now ranked at 132 but has been as high as No 4 during her career, came back from a set and a break down on Sunday to defeat her 23-year-old opponent to claim her seventh career title.
Schiavone is the third Italian winner on the WTA Tour this year after Roberta Vinci in St Petersburg last week and Sara Errani in Dubai on Saturday.
Victory represented a return to form for the 35-year-old, who missed out on a 62nd consecutive Grand Slam main draw appearance when she fell in the second round of qualifying at the Australian Open in January.
Success in Brazil also guarantees Schiavone a return to the world top 100 next week for a player in her third decade on tour.
