BEIJING — Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei beat Briton Laura Robson in the WTA Guangzhou Open final Saturday, ending the teenager’s attempt to become the first British woman to win a main tour title in 24 years.



Hsieh won the match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in two hours and 48 minutes, leaving the 18-year-old Robson still waiting for a maiden tour win.



Robson, the world No. 74, had defeated Chinese second seed Zheng Jie and Romanian third seed Sorana Cirstea on her way to becoming the first British woman to reach a main tour final since 1990.



But her attempt to follow up her Olympic mixed doubles silver with compatriot Andy Murray by taking her first senior tour title ended in failure.



She broke early on in the first set but her opponent hit back with a run of games to take a 5-2 lead, and Robson committed three double faults before finally holding serve in the eighth game.



But Hsieh wrapped up the set in 49 minutes.



At first it was a similar story in the second set, with Robson breaking first but the 26-year-old Taiwanese, the world No. 53, again hitting back with two breaks of her own.



Left-handed Robson looked to be on the ropes but fought long and hard to hold serve in the ninth game, saving several championship points.



She then won the next three games, including two breaks, to finally take the set 7-5 after a one hour, seven minute struggle and send the match into a decider.



A brief suspension for hot conditions did little to dispel Robson’s new-found momentum, and yet again she broke first, building up a 3-0 lead only for the Taiwanese to break back twice and draw ahead, an advantage she never surrendered.



Nonetheless British tennis appears to be in a historic purple patch, with Murray’s triumph at the US Open earlier this month making him the first men’s winner of a Grand Slam tournament in 76 years.



Wozniacki-Kanepi final



In South Korea, Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the Korea Open final by defeating Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 Saturday.



The Dane will face Kaia Kanepi Sunday after the Estonian beat Varvara Lepchenko of the United States 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.



Fognini advances



In Russia, fourth-seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 6-3, 6-4 Saturday to advance to the final of the St. Petersburg Open.



Fognini will play in his second career final after winning his maiden title in Bucharest, Romania, in April.



Top-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, the 2004 champion and a two-time runner-up, was scheduled to play third-seeded Martin Klizan of Slovakia in the second semifinal match later.



Monfils in semis



In France, defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France overcame a slow start to beat Jesse Levine 6-3, 6-4 Friday and reach the Moselle Open semifinals.



He was to face eighth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko in the last four Saturday after the Russian beat Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-0.



Tsonga could potentially face Gael Monfils again in another final Sunday.



Monfils had earlier beaten second-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first semifinal since February.



The Frenchman next faces fifth-seeded Andreas Seppi of Italy, who had a more comfortable 7-5, 6-2 win against Florian Mayer of Germany. — Agencies