It took seven attempts, but Daria Gavrilova finally has a win in season 2019.
Fresh off her 25th birthday, Gavrilova knocked off Ukrainian teenager Dayana Yastremska in three sets in their opening-round clash at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday (AEST).
Gavrilova's 6-2 5-7 6-2 win, completed in two-and-a-half hours at Indian Wells, was her first single's win in 140 days, dating back to October's Kremlin Cup in Moscow.
That day, Gavrilova defeated Russian lucky loser Vitalia Diatchenko, but went on to lose to Australian-born Briton Johanna Konta in three sets in the round of 16.
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That defeat kicked off the leanest of runs for Gavrilova.
In January, she lost her Brisbane opener to Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova before being ousted by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva in Sydney a week later.
It didn't improve on the big stage in Melbourne, with her local hopes going up in smoke in an Australian Open first round defeat to Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova later whacked her around in St Petersburg, with the Russian beanpole dominating 6-0 6-4.
Gavrilova then took part in Australia's Fed Cup tie against United States, and pushed Danielle Collins all the way in their single's rubber. However, the surprise Australian Open semi-finalist sealed a 6-1 3-6 6-2 win to keep Gavrilova winless in five attempts in 2019.
That grew to six when Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu wiped her out in Acapulco last week.
Six matches, six losses, and just one set to her name.
Against one of tennis' more promising young guns in Yastremska - who won the WTA tournament in Thailand last month and reached the third round of the Australian Open - Gavrilova had it all to do.
Heading into the clash at Indian Wells, Yastremska enjoyed an 11-5 record in 2019 versus her opponent's 0-6.
After Yastremska jumped to a 2-0 lead early in the first set, things looked ominous for the Australian - but Gavrilova found another gear to rattle off six straight games to win the set.
At 2-4 down in the second, Gavrilova looked to have handed some momentum back to Yastremska, but again bounced back to serve for the match at 5-4.
However, Yastremska - some six years Gavrilova's junior, but three inches taller - battled from beyond the baseline to take the match to a third set.
This time, Gavrilova burst out of the blocks to snatch two breaks and sprint to a 4-0 lead. However, Yastremska - who is now ranked nearly 20 spots above Gavrilova at No.37 - broke to take it to 4-2, and had a big chance to narrow it to 4-3 when holding a game point on her serve.
The Aussie found something more, breaking back before serving out the set and the match.
.@Daria_gav earns her first win of the year at the @BNPPARIBASOPEN!
— WTA (@WTA) March 7, 2019
Downs Yastremska, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/VX7IUtdaym
Her Indian Wells campaign will carry on in the second round against Buzarnescu.
