ST. LOUIS, Mo. Cavalier first-year Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) won the singles title at the Dwight Davis/Merrill Lynch Championships on the USTA Pro Circuit Sunday She defeated third-seeded Anda Perianu of Romaina, ranked No. 614 in the world in the final 7-5, 7-6. 

"This culminates a great week for Lindsey," said Cavalier assistant coach Troy Porco. "She played her best match of the tournament today and beat a quality player who has a lot of experience. I couldn’t be more impressed with her composure and attitude on the court. She is a great ambassador for Virginia Tennis."

Hardenbergh topped Perianu in straight sets in the final. Perianu was a two-time Big XII Player of the Year and a 2004 All-American at Oklahoma.

“It was a good match and I had to fight for every point today,” said Hardenbergh. “It came down to who wanted it more and I was able to dig deep and get those points against a great competitor who has a lot of experience. I want to thank my coaches because they put me in position, especially with conditioning, to have the hard work pay off this week. I was just happy to be able to represent UVa this week.”

Hardenbergh, who was playing her first ever USTA Pro Circuit event, advanced to the main draw after advancing from qualifying.