SEOUL: Brazil鈥檚 Beatriz Haddad Maia won the fourth title of her career with a furious fightback to beat Russian top seed Daria Kasatkina 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in Sunday鈥檚 Korea Open final.

No. 3 seed Haddad Maia lost the opening set in just 26 minutes but turned the tide in the second, before going on to close out the match in a gutsy performance in Seoul.

It was the world No. 17鈥檚 first title since June 2022. 鈥淚 know that tennis changes everything very fast,鈥� said Haddad Maia.

鈥淚 was competing better at the end of the second set and then my tennis appeared. I finished in the way that I wanted and I think I deserved this win.鈥�

Kasatkina, ranked 13, has now lost four of her five finals this year. She said 鈥渓osing in the final can feel worse than losing in the first round.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 tough, especially being up in the final, but she definitely raised the level after the first set,鈥� said Kasatkina. 鈥淭he match was pretty good but then she was better in the third set.鈥�

Neither player had dropped a set on their way to the Seoul decider and both played two matches on Saturday, after heavy rain wiped out the previous day鈥檚 play.

Kasatkina won her quarter-final after opponent Emma Raducanu retired injured after the first set.

Kasatkina broke Haddad Maia twice on the way to winning the first set.

She broke her opponent again in the first game of the second set and held serve, before Haddad Maia began to threaten for the first time in the match.

The momentum shifted when the 28-year-old Haddad Maia broke back midway through the second set and then took the lead for the first time.

The Brazilian argued a call with the umpire but kept her cool to take the second set.

鈥淚 was just trying to play every point,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was improving and I think that was the key, to be calm and just play tennis.鈥�

Haddad Maia went a break up in the third and stayed ahead as Kasatkina began to crumble.

Haddad Maia broke again and closed out the final when Kasatkina hit a return long.

鈥淚 feel stronger, I feel that I鈥檓 very competitive now,鈥� said Haddad Maia.

鈥淚鈥檓 in a good moment, ready for the next week. I feel that I鈥檓 doing very good things, working hard.

鈥淟et鈥檚 see what the end of the season brings to me,鈥� she added.

The Korea Open was being played as a WTA 500 tournament for the first time.

It was hit by a string of last-minute withdrawals including world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.