While U.S. fans have been sleeping, their tennis players have come out of the gates fast in Australia

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (AP) — Alison Van Uytvanck won her second title of the season Saturday in a keenly fought final at the Tashkent Open against Sorana Cirstea.

The Belgian prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 after nearly two and a half hours. The turning point came when she saved six break points at 1-0 down in the decider before breaking her Romanian opponent in the next game.

It was the first time Van Uytvanck had won two titles in a season and she moves to 4-0 in career WTA finals. Her first title of 2019 came with a successful defense of the Budapest crown in February.

The 29-year-old Cirstea had won both of her previous meetings with Van Uytvanck and was seeking her first tour-level title since winning in Tashkent 11 years previously.

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