Johanna Larsson scored the first WTA title in Bastad 2015. Collector Swedish Open

Barthel had beaten Larsson in straight sets in all three of their previous meetings, but this time the No.7-seeded Larsson came out swinging, rallying from an early break down to take the first set and then rallying from a break down twice more to edge the No.4-seeded Barthel in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(2). 

 She stormed out to a 5-0 lead in the second set tie-break and never really looked back. "I'm extremely happy," Larsson said.

"I think I played really well today and I tried to concentrate on taking it point by point. Mona is playing very aggressive tennis so I think my spin really paid off. 
 "Coming into this tournament I had not won many matches," the Swedish No.1 added. "But I tried to just play my game and stick with my topspin, which is my strength out there. In the end of the match I don't know how it happened, but I won the last point, and of course that's the most important point! "I'm just really living in the moment right now and I'm happy with this victory today. 
Hopefully this can pay off later in the season, but right now I am just going to enjoy my first career WTA title."

Johanna Larsson into Final of the Collector Swedish Open 2015

The No.4-seeded Barthel was the first to move through to the final, breaking serve six times to fight off Spanish WTA Rising Star Lara Arruabarrena after just an hour and 15 minutes, 6-3, 6-2.

Arruabarrena had taken out the No.2 seed, Samantha Stosur, earlier on in the tournament. Larsson, the No.7 seed this week, broke three times - and never even faced a single break point herself - en route to a 6-4, 6-2 win over another WTA Rising Star, Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.
 "I thought I played pretty well today and I had the match right where I wanted," Larsson said. 
 "I think my serve worked really well, and the conditions played to my advantage. But my serve was the key today and she actually didn't have one break point, which is nice to have in your back pocket."

COLLECTOR SWEDISH OPEN BASTAD, SWEDEN JUL 13 - JUL 19 2015. TOURNAMENT INFO

TOURNAMENT INFO 
 TIER: International 
PRIZE MONEY: $226,750 
SURFACE: Clay 
DIRECTOR: Nina Wennerstrom 

The Collector Swedish Open launched in 2009 in Bastad in southern Sweden, replacing the Stockholm Open - which ran from 2004 to 2008 - as the country's only event on the WTA calendar. Quickly growing in popularity, it was named the WTA's International Tournament Of The Year in 2012 and the WTA's Tournament Of The Year/EMEA in 2014. 
 The event is played at the Bastad Tennis Stadium a few hundred yards from Bastad Beach along the Kattegatt Sea. The ATP's SkiStar Swedish Open is staged at the same facility, which has more courts than any venue in the country, the week after the Collector Swedish Open in July. Victorious in 2011 and 2012, Slovenia's Polona Hercog is the only player with multiple Bastad titles. 
Serena Williams secured her first International-level title at the 2013 edition.

Mona Barthel captured the third WTA title. Collector Swedish Open 2014

The tournament was somewhat of a "last woman standing" kind of thing - seven of the Top 8 seeds were bounced in the first round, and after No.6 seed Annika Beck was upset in the second round, it was the first WTA draw where no seeds made the quarterfinals since Hobart in January 2009. 

 But it was Barthel who emerged victorious from all of the chaos, surviving a few particularly tough ones en route to the final - three-setters against Canadian qualifier Gabriela Dabrowski in the second round and Spain's Sílvia Soler-Espinosa in the semifinals, coming from 4-2 down in the third in the latter - and against fellow unseeded player Scheepers in the final she put her rally cap on again, coming back from 5-3 down in the second set to close out the South African No.1 in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(3). Barthel's serve was her go-to in the final - she dropped serve once early in the second set, but overall she held nine of her 10 service games, only being pushed to deuce in three of the other ones. "It's been an amazing week for me. I cannot believe I won the title!" Barthel beamed afterwards.
 "It was like a perfect week for me. I was fighting a lot - in some matches I was behind, and I was just fighting for every point. I'm just happy everything worked out. I love this tournament so much. "I can't wait to defend my title."

News Collector Swedish Open. 18 july 2014

Early exits for all eight seeds had left World No.54 Kanepi as the highest-ranked player in the draw, but she was no match for an on-song Barthel, who weathered a late storm to triumph, 6-2, 7-6(4). 

 After an early exchange of breaks, Barthel reeled off four straight games to run away with the opening set. The second set was a far closer affair, going with serve until the ninth game when Kanepi found the line with a forehand return to break. Eager not to be outdone in the shotmaking department, Barthel hit straight back with a precise backhand pass. In the subsequent tie-break, it was the backhand that once again proved the difference, a crosscourt pass taking the German to two match points. 
She only needed the one, another crisp backhand booking a last four meeting with Sílvia Soler-Espinosa. "That was a really tough match, especially in the second set," Barthel said. "It was really close and she served for the set. "I'm pretty happy I stayed tough in these moments, believed in myself and just kept going for my shots. I played a really good tie-break in the end and I think this made the difference." Soler-Espinosa was equally impressive against Alexandra Panova, needing little over an hour to complete a 6-3, 6-2 win.
"Of course it was a tough match, because everyone who is in the quarterfinals is playing well," Soler-Espinosa said. "I knew she was going to be quite solid from the baseline, so I just tried to play my game, be aggressive and use my forehand to move her when I had the opportunities. I'm so happy to be in the semifinals here in Bastad!" In the other semifinal, Chanelle Scheepers will take on Jana Cepelova.

Collector Swedish Open, Main draw singles, BASTAD, SWEDEN JUL 14 - JUL 20

COLLECTOR SWEDISH OPEN BASTAD, SWEDEN JUL 14 - JUL 20, 2014. TOURNAMENT INFO

TOURNAMENT INFO 
 TIER: International 
PRIZE MONEY: $250,000 
SURFACE: Clay 
DIRECTOR: Nina Wennerstrom 

The Collector Swedish Open launched in 2009 in Bastad in southern Sweden, replacing the Stockholm Open - which ran from 2004 to 2008 - as the country's only event on the WTA calendar. Quickly growing in popularity, it was named the WTA's International Tournament Of The Year in 2012. The event is played at the Bastad Tennis Stadium a few hundred yards from Bastad Beach along the Kattegatt Sea. The ATP's SkiStar Swedish Open is staged at the same facility, which has more courts than any venue in the country, the week prior to the Collector Swedish Open in July. Victorious in 2011 and 2012, Slovenia's Polona Hercog is the only player with multiple Bastad titles. Serena Williams secured her first International-level title at the 2013 edition.

SERENA WILLIAMS TRIUNFA ANTE LARSSON EN BASTAD 2013

WILLIAMS_LARSSON 64 61

BASTAD , 21 JULY 2013

 La estadounidense Serena Williams, N°1 del mundo, derrotó en dos mangas a la sueca Johanna Larsson (76ª en el ranking wta) y se quedó con la el abierto sueco.

La estadounidense fue de menor a mayor en su octava final en el año, sobre un total de 11 torneos. Mostró algunas dudas en el inicio, sobre todo con su servicio (fue quebrada en dos oportunidades), pero luego se recuperó y terminó festejando tras una hora y 18 minutos de juego.Serena, con esta nueva consagración, consiguió su séptimo título en la temporada (53° en su carrera), el quinto seguido sobre arcilla. Brisbane, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Roma y Roland Garros, los anteriores.

Con la ventaja inicial en un set muy parejo (37 a 33 en puntos para Serena), la número uno del mundo se relajó y se adueñó del partido por completo. Dos quiebres más y, ahora sí, solidez con su saque terminaron de ponerle un cierre a la obra.

Cabe destacar que Williams, además, logró su 39° triunfo en los últimos 40 partidos (derrota en octavos de final de Wimabledon ante Lisicki) y su 28° seguido sobre clay, superficie en la que marcha invicta esta temporada (títulos en Charleston, Madrid, Roma y Rolang Garros).

Serena, vale decir, se impuso en el WTA de Bastad sin ceder sets. La checa Zakopalova, la española Domínguez Lino, la georgiana Tatishvili y la kazaja Karatantcheva, sus otras cuatro vencidas. En total, en las cinco rondas, apenas perdió 19 games.

A su vez, Larsson quedó nuevamente a un paso de su primer título en el circuito grande. Con ésta, suma tres finales.

ORDER OF PLAY 21 JULY 2013, Collector Swedish Open,

SCORES 20 JULY 2013, Collector Swedish Open, NURNBERGER Gastein Ladies

SCORES 19 JULY 2013, Collector Swedish Open

Scores 18 july 2013, Collector Swedish Open,

Scores 17 july 2013, Collector Swedish Open,

SCORES 16 JULY 2013, Collector Swedish Open

Collector Swedish Open, 15-21 july 2013

Tier: International 
Prize Money: $235,000
 Surface: Clay 
Director: Nina Wennerstrom

 The Collector Swedish Open launched in 2009 in Bastad in southern Sweden, replacing the Stockholm Open - which ran from 2004 to 2008 - as the country's only event on the WTA calendar. Quickly growing in popularity, it was named the WTA's International Tournament Of The Year in 2012. The event is played at the Bastad Tennis Stadium a few hundred yards from Bastad Beach along the Kattegatt Sea. The ATP's SkiStar Swedish Open is staged at the same facility, which has more courts than any venue in the country, the week prior to the Collector Swedish Open in July. Victorious in 2011 and 2012, Slovenia's Polona Hercog is the only player with multiple Bastad titles.

Main draw singles, Collector Swedish Open, 15-21 july 2013