Sania Mirza after her maiden WTA triumph in Hyderabad on Saturday. (AFP)

Hyderabad: Indian sport discovered a rare champion at the overflowing SAAP Tennis Stadium on Saturday evening. Sania Mirza not just became the first woman from our country to win a WTA Tour title, she helped Indian tennis take a giant leap forward.

The 18-year-old ?queen of Hyderabad? came through a roller-coaster two-hour, 10-minute ride to see off gutsy Ukrainian Alyona Bondarenko 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in an eventful final which capped a memorable week for Sania.

Just two weeks after captivating a nation of one billion with a heartening show in her maiden Grand Slam, the chirpy teenager fought off niggling injuries to confirm her status as a rising star in world tennis. And she did it the hard way, with three of her five matches going the full distance.

The pay cheque for $22,000 was far less than what she earned in Melbourne, but she won?t complain. In winning her maiden final (in only her fifth tournament at this level) and collecting 122 points, Sania will move ever so close to that magic figure of world No. 99.

On a day when the whole of Hyderabad seemed to descend on the tennis stadium, Sania revealed nerves of steel to fight off a talented opponent who was equally determined to make her first-ever Tour final an unforgettable one.

Sania?s subdued start matched her sober all-white dress. She must have felt the butterflies in her stomach as three double-faults and a couple of unforced errors pushed her to 0-2. Then, her adrenaline started pumping and the laser-guided groundstrokes started flowing from her racket.

Breaking world No. 107 Bondarenko ? who like Sania played well above her current ranking ? in the third game with a trademark forehand drive, the unseeded Indian went on to earn another break courtesy three stunning service returns.

She moved smoothly to 5-3 before the nerves reappeared. Sania had Bondarenko on the run in the ninth game but just couldn?t close out the set. The Indian had four set-points and missed them all, often through an over-eagerness which sent the balls off target.

Then, serving at 5-4, Sania again lived through several agonising moments. The game lasted all of 10 minutes and saw seven deuces. After squandering four more set-points and saving two break-points, Sania finally went one up when the chair umpire overruled a Bondarenko return which was called good by the line judge.

The wild, indisciplined crowd did everything they shouldn?t do at a tennis match. Still, both finalists kept their cool and went about their business in a workmanlike manner.

If anything, Bondarenko got more stubborn and repeatedly produced returns of high quality. She was rock-solid from the baseline and her second serves were superior to Sania?s.

Breaking Sania twice, the Ukrainian surged to 5-2. Like her rival, though, Bondarenko struggled when it came to pocketing the set. She threw away five set-points before surrendering serve to let the Indian back. At 5-6, though, Sania faltered on serve and it was a set all when the Indian?s backhand down-the-line diverted wide off the net.

As the decider unfolded with two service-breaks either way, Bondarenko looked to have lost her intensity. To make matters worse for her, Sania regained her stroking and serving rhythm almost simultaneously.

A drop volley on an excellent approach shot helped Sania break for 2-1. Holding easily (powered by two aces), Sania again captured Bondarenko?s serve as her disgusted opponent mishit a forehand miles long.

It was soon 5-2 and on her first championship point at 40-30, a swerving serve kissed the line and the celebrations started. Sania went down on the turf and the delirious crowd threw bottles on to the court. Then, everybody realised it was a let service.

The drama got prolonged as Sania lost serve. But she was not to be denied. Two Bondarenko forehand errors heralded the moment all of India had been waiting for. Sania had won not just a tennis tournament, she had redefined Indian tennis.

Earlier, Zi Yan and Jie Zheng of China stunned Olympic gold medallists and compatriots Ting Li and Tian Tian Sun to lift the doubles title. Yan and Zhengwon 6-4, 6-1 victory.