Yulia Putintseva revelled in unexpected delight after she captured the 2024 Rothesay Classic Birmingham title in Edgbaston.

The Kazakhstani ace toppled Australian Ajla Tomjlanovic 6-1 7-6 (8) in Sunday’s final after ending Elisabetta Cocciaretto’s grass-court run the previous day.

Putintseva, 29, dominated the first set in her sixth meeting with Tomljanovic, who was back on a grass court following an eight-month absence due to a knee injury.

In the pair’s maiden grass-court final on the Ann Jones Centre Court, the Australian fought back, forcing Putintseva to come from 5-3 behind and save two set points in the second set.

The Kazakhstani No.2 previously went as far as the quarter-finals in Birmingham five years ago and made no mistake this year to grab the Maud Watson trophy.

Putintseva said: “I don’t know what I’m feeling because I wasn’t expecting this at all.

“I’ve been always good on clay but now all of a sudden I’m good on grass so I’ll take that, it’s great.

“I’ve been doing my slice back all my life because it’s my game to mix it up and to play slices, drop shots, volleys, everything.

“It’s been a great match, I started so well and then Ajla levelled up her level to the highest and she was playing pretty amazing and not giving me any time to think or do something.

“Even in the end, I was a bit more lucky but I want to congratulate Ajla, it was great to see you back and after everything you’ve been through with all your injuries, it’s a great achievement, you deserve this title as much as I do.

“I’m going to come back more now, hopefully until the end of my career I’m going to be here.”

In the doubles final, new partnership Miyu Kato and Shuai Zhang faced off with top seeds Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens.

The formidable latter pairing stormed through to take a 6-1 lead in the first set and quickly followed up in the second to win 6-1 6-3 overall under the Midlands sunshine.

Hsieh and Mertens successfully reunited in January for the first time since 2021 to secure the Australian Open, their first Grand Slam since winning Wimbledon together in the same year.

For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website