Russian teenager Maria Kirilenko beat Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-3, 6-4 in Sunday's China Open final to win the first WTA Tour title of her career.
Chinese organisers had hoped another Russian 18-year-old would lift the trophy in Beijing.
However, world number one Maria Sharapova retired with an injury during her semi-final with Kirilenko on Saturday to cap a miserable week for the tournament.
Organisers were left embarrassed after the early exit of the top four seeds in Beijing.
Sharapova retired with a pectoral injury during her semi-final with Kirilenko. Second seed Lindsay Davenport withdrew after winning in Bali last weekend.
Venus and Serena Williams also made early exits in Beijing and were slammed by China's state-run media, who accused them of being more interested in going shopping.
Kirilenko had led Sharapova 6-4, 2-1 when the top seed called it quits in their semi-final and the 45th-ranked Kirilenko carried on where she left off in her second career final.
She gained the decisive break in the first set after chasing down a Groenefeld drop shot and threading a superb forehand down the line.
Kirilenko, who reached the final in Hyderabad last year, raced to a 4-1 lead in the second but panic set in when serving for the match at 5-3.
The 30th-ranked Groenefeld broke back and, as organisers held their breath, Kirilenko took an injury time-out for treatment to her right wrist.
She suffered no ill effects, however, and finally wrapped up victory after an hour and 47 minutes when Groenefeld blew an easy volley on Kirilenko's first match point.
