Hsieh becomes first Asian winner of Kuala Lumpur

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP)â€"Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei became the first Asian winner of the Malaysian Open on Sunday when her opponent Petra Martic retired with exhaustion after playing both her semifinal and final matches on the same day.

The unseeded Hsieh beat the fifth-seeded Martic 2-6, 7-5, 4-1.

Earlier Sunday, Martic beat second-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-7 (5), 7-5, 7-6 (5) in a semifinal lasting more than three hours. Rain triggered a suspension of play Saturday at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort.

The Croatian had only a few hours to rest before facing Hsieh. Both were playing a WTA final for the first time.

The 21-year-old Martic won the first set and led the second by 4-2 before she began to significantly tire. She lost the set after appearing to have leg cramps.

Hsieh, 26, led 4-1 in the third set before Martic retired after an hour and 45 minutes.

The tournament has been plagued by rain delays and injuries all week. Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland withdrew Friday because of an elbow injury.