Justine Henin-Hardenne snatched the Hastings Direct Championship in Eastbourne on a final-set tie-break.
The French Open champion, seeded three, beat Russian fifth seed Anastasia Myskina 4-6 6-1 7-6 (7-5).
Henin-Hardenne said: "Anastasia never gives up and she's a real fighter. It's a question of nerves in the tie-break.
"It wasn't easy to come from the clay to play on the grass just a week after my win at the French Open. Now I'm focused on Wimbledon."
Henin-Hardenne started well, breaking Myskina in the third game.
But the Russian broke back for 4-4 and broke again in the 10th game to seal the set as the two players engaged in a power-hitting battle from the baseline.
Myskina double-faulted to give away a break in the opening game of the second set and was broken again to love in the third.
There was no coming back from that deficit, which meant a deciding third set.
Each player broke twice and Henin-Hardenne held three match points as Myskina served at 4-5.
The Belgian was unable to take any of them, but she had two more chances in the deciding tie-break and finally took victory at the fifth time of asking.
"I tried my best but Justine's a great player," said Myskina.
"I'm really happy to have been in the final. It's good preparation for Wimbledon."
She and 29-year-old South African Liezel Huber lost 6-2 6-4 in the final to world number one singles player Amelie Mauresmo and Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova.
However, Navratilova was presented with the freedom of the town - which entitles her to graze her sheep on the land - and promised fans she would see them again next year.