Former world number one Kim Clijsters took 59 minutes to pocket a first prize of just over £50,000 by beating Vera Douchevina 7-5 6-0 in the Hastings Direct International Women's Championship at Eastbourne.
The Belgian, making her debut on the south coast and looking in fine form for Wimbledon, survived a huge scare in the first set when Douchevina broke her twice and led 4-3 with a courageous and confident display.
But once Clijsters, seeded 15th at Wimbledon next week after an injury-ravaged year on tour, broke back to level matters at 2-2 and 4-4 and found the full range of her game, the show was over.
Douchevina, who won a whole host of new admirers with her flamboyant play in the first set, beat compatriot Maria Sharapova on the way to her junior success at SW19 three years ago, but the 18-year-old collapsed as Clijsters turned on the pressure.
After a 42-minute first set Clijsters, who knocked out title-holder Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets yesterday, rattled through the second in just 17 minutes, dropping only six points.
