Hobart : Belgian woman tennis player Elise Mertens routed Romanian Monica Niculescu in the final to claim the Hobart International title here on Saturday.

Ranked 127 in the world, the Belgian champion defeated world No.40 Niculescu 6-3, 6-1 to win the first title in her professional career at the Tasmanian capital, reports Efe.

Mertens's best Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranking was last November, when she came in at No.120.-Agency