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BASTAD, Sweden -- Seventh-seeded Johanna Larsson won her first WTA title Sunday in front of a home crowd by defeating defending champion Mona Barthel 6-3, 7-6 (2), at the Swedish Open. The 26-year-old Larsson outpowered the fourth-seeded German in the first set and then led the second-set tiebreaker 5-0 before winning 7-2. Larsson took 1 hour, 41 minutes to beat the fourth-seeded German, who had been the favorite to win the tournament after top-seeded Serena Williams withdrew with a right elbow injury after her first game.  In all three of their previous meetings, Barthel had beaten Larsson in straight sets. "Absolutely fantastic,'' Larsson said afterward. "I was incredibly charged up today.'' The Swede has reached the finals in Bastad twice before, losing to Polona Hercog of Slovenia in 2011 and Williams in 2013. Before Larsson, the last Swede to win the tournament was Catharina Lindqvist in 1986.
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