Sharapova, 30, was contesting the seventh tournament of what has been an injury plagued and controversial comeback since testing positive for the banned substance meldonium in early 2016.

She exchanged 11 breaks of serve with the Belarusian, who is ranked 102 in the world and has yet to win a WTA trophy, before finally clinching it in the tiebreaker when the teenager put a forehand return long.

In a tight final of high-decibel shrieking, Sabalenka was broken in the opening game but any expectations that she would roll over quickly dissolved when she won four games in a row to go 4-1 up.

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Sharapova’s coach Sven Groeneveld urged her to use the body serve, and momentum immediately shifted as she held the next game and then edged a nine-minute game seven to wrestle it back on serve.

Sabalenka angrily slammed her racquet down as she double faulted to be broken for a third time and with Sharapova serving at 6-5, the Belarusian overcooked a forehand to hand over the set.

The second set followed a similar pattern and Sabalenka was 5-1 up before Sharapova reeled her in, breaking three times – and saving a set point along the way – before serving for the match at 6-5.

But a double fault from the Russian took it to a closely contested tiebreak, where Sharapova held championship points four times before finally sealing it after two hours and five minutes.

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Sharapova, whose ranking has dropped to 86, has been playing on wild cards this season. Her return has proved divisive, with some rivals insisting she shouldn’t be back on tour at all.

She now heads to next week’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow for the first time since 2007, after also being given a wild card to play in what is her home tournament.