Daria Gavrilova's US Open stocks have soared following a watershed win over over former Australian Open runner-up Dominika Cibulkova in the Connecticut Open final.
Gavrilova recovered from a set down and a break in the third to upset the tournament's second seed 4-6 6-3 6-4 in a thrilling two-hour, 45-minute championship decider to snare her maiden WTA Tour title.
The emotional triumph lifts the 23-year-old into the world's top 20 for the first time in a major boost ahead of the season's final grand slam starting on Monday in New York.
Gavrilova had knocked out top-seeded titleholder Agnieskza Radwanska in the semi-finals to be the first Australian to make the championship decider in New Haven.
Cibulkova is arguably an even bigger scalp.
The Slovak ventured all the way to the Australian Open final in 2014, losing to Victoria Azarenka, and last year confirmed her credentials with victory at the elite season-ending championships.
"It's even more special to win it that way, against such a tough competitor, and the semi-final, beating a top-10 player," Gavrilova said.
"I've beaten some great players to win my first title."
Gavrilova made a flying start, twice leading by a break in the opening set on Saturday.
But she conceded four of the last five games to hand Cibulkova the set.
She broke Cibulkova twice more in the second set while fighting off four break points on her own serve to level the match.
Momentum continued to shift in the deciding set but, even after dropping serve to love to fall behind 4-3, Gavrilova refused to go away.
She broke straight back, then stirred the crowd to life with a finger twirl before holding serve in a tense ninth game to edge ahead 5-4.
The Melburnian leaped over advertising signs after clinching victory on her third match point to celebrate Pat Cash-style with her entourage, including coach Nicole Pratt and Australian Fed Cup captain Alicia Molik.
"I always believed in myself that I could still win. I just managed to stay calm, managed to just be focused on the task rather than getting all emotional, going elsewhere," Gavrilova said.
The feisty baseliner will head to Flushing Meadows brimming with confidence ahead of her first-round tussle with American qualifier Allie Kiick, but has just two days to recover from her sapping week's work.
"It's so worth it, winning your first title. Of course I gave my all, but I'm looking forward to playing on Tuesday. I will give my best on Tuesday as well.
"US Open, it's a new opportunity."
The Australian No.1 is seeded 25th, but will arrive ranked 20th after collecting her first top-level trophy in her third final.
Junior champion in New York in 2010, Moscow-born Gavrilova lost to former Russian compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year's Kremlin Cup final and to fellow Australian Samantha Stosur in Strasbourg in May.
