Daria Kasatkina beat Leylah Fernandez 6-3 6-4 to win her seventh WTA title, and her first on grass, at the Eastbourne International.

The world number 14, who finished as runner-up to Madison Keys last year, had conquered Emma Raducanu and Jasmine Paolini en route to her fourth final of 2024.

She broke the 2021 US Open runner-up in the very first game and wrapped up the opener with another break in the ninth game, having held off some fierce pressure on her own serve.

Another swift break in the second set had seemingly set up more of the same, but Fernandez fought back from 3-0 down to go 4-3 up. However, the Canadian failed to hold serve again from then on as Kasatkina assumed control, wrapping up her victory in just under two hours.

Elsewhere on Saturday, 20-year-old Diana Shnaider won her second title of 2024 at the Bad Homburg Open, edging out Donna Vekic 6-3 2-6 6-3 in the final.

The Russian's efficiency told in a back-and-forth contest as she converted four of her six break points, becoming the youngest player on the WTA Tour to capture multiple titles this season.

Data Debrief: Kasatkina heads to SW19 in form

Kasatkina is now 6-1 on grass this year and possesses a fine 33-17 record on the surface throughout her career.

Having made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2018, she will be targeting another deep run this year, seeded 14th and drawn to face Zhang Shuai in the first round. 

Madison Keys shrugged off an injury scare to progress to her second Eastbourne final by upsetting fellow American Coco Gauff with a straight-sets win at the Rothesay International.

The 2014 champion, who suffered a nasty slip in the middle of the second set, triumphed 6-3 6-3 against the world number seven at a blustery Devonshire Park.

Former USA Open runner-up Keys had earlier on Friday been drawn to face British wildcard Sonay Kartal in the first round of Wimbledon.

“I’ve had a little bit of a not great year so far, so being able to make a final here where I won my first title is amazing,” the 28-year-old world number 25 said in her on-court interview.

“It’s definitely 10 times more difficult when you have to play Coco and then you throw in hurricane winds on top of it.

“I’m very happy that I was able to have a not incredibly complicated match and get the win. I’m really looking forward to the final tomorrow.”

Gauff, who defeated doubles partner Jessica Pegula to reach the semi-final, looked poised to stage a comeback.

However, after breaking serve in the first game of the second set, the 19-year-old blew a 40-0 lead and then hit a remarkable three double faults in a row at advantage to allow her opponent to level at 2-2.

Unseeded Keys was left holding her hip following a painful fall in the next game but recovered sufficiently to progress in an hour and 21 minutes.

World number seven Coco Gauff cruised into the last eight of the Rothesay International at Eastbourne with a comfortable 6-1 6-1 victory over Britain’s Jodie Burrage.

The American took just 59 minutes to complete the win with the only highlight for Burrage, who has a Wimbledon wildcard, being a break of serve to make it 5-1 in the second set.

Gauff will now face compatriot and doubles partner Jessica Pegula, who beat Colombian qualifier Camila Osorio 6-2 1-6 6-3, in a meeting of the top two Americans on tour.

The American is enjoying the relative peace of Eastbourne ahead of Wimbledon next week.

“Being in a town like Eastbourne where you can walk reminds me of home. It’s peaceful and I need that before getting into a Grand Slam,” she told BBC2.

Britain’s representation in the women’s singles ended with Harriet Dart’s exit to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, losing 6-3 6-4, while Russian ninth seed Daria Kasatkina beat 2021 Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Pliskova in three sets.

Defending men’s champion and top seed Taylor Fritz was knocked out by fellow Californian Mackenzie McDonald, who recovered from a break down in each set to win 7-6 (3) 7-6 (8) against the world number nine.

“It’s a big win for me. Taylor’s a close friend and it’s always tough playing your friends. It was a battle out there,” McDonald said in his on-court interview.

The American will face Swede Mikael Ymer in the quarter-finals after he defeated home favourite Liam Broady 6-2 6-4.

Eighth seed Miomir Kecmanovic struggled past qualifier qualifier Aleksandar Vukic for a 7-6 (6) 6-4 win and will face Frenchman Gregoire Barrere after he upset fifth seed Nicolas Jarry in three sets.