Samantha Stosur has defeated Francesca Schiavone 7-5 6-1 to win the Japan Women’s Open, her first WTA singles title.

Stosur didn’t drop a set en-route to the semifinal, when she pulled off the upset of the tournament with a 6-0 4-6 6-4 win over top seed and world No.6 Caroline Wozniacki.

The win is likely to elevate Stosur to world No.13, equalling her career high and surpassing Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic.

“I’m very, very pleased to win my first title after losing five previous finals,” Stosur said.

“It has been a personal goal for a while, so I am glad to have achieved that and it’s the perfect way to finish my year in singles. My next goal is to reach the Top 10, for which I would need to play like today every day.”

Stosur and fellow Australian Rennae Stubbs have qualified for the doubles event at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha.

Tennis Australia