NOTTINGHAM — Australian No.1 Ashleigh Barty heaped disappointment on Britain's home hope Johanna Konta for a second successive year in the Nottingham Open as she ran out a three-set winner in a tight and compelling final Sunday.

A disgruntled Konta, beaten in the final of the same pre-Wimbledon grass tournament by Donna Vekic last year, found the rising 22-year-old Australian talent too tough a hurdle as she fell to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 defeat after two hours and six minutes.

It was Barty's first tournament triumph of the year, the second of her career and a demonstration from the former junior Wimbledon champion that she could now even be an outside threat for the senior title at the grasscourt grand slam.

Konta kept her nerve through an hour's rain delay to defeat defending champion Donna Vekic Saturday.

In a reverse of last year's final, Konta beat the Croatian 6-2, 6-3 and Barty overwhelmed Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal. — Agencies