Biel, Switzerland - Arab Today
Aged just 17, Marketa Vondrousova won her first WTA Tour title on Sunday, beating Anett Kontaveit of Estonia 6-4, 7-6 (6) in the Biel Ladies Open final.
The 233rd-ranked Czech clinched the first edition of the Swiss indoor hard-court tournament when Kontaveit netted a forehand under pressure from another powerful ground stroke.
Vondrousova did not drop a set in the main draw after advancing through three rounds of qualifying. She beat top-seeded fellow Czech Barbora Strykova in the semifinals to reach her first final on tour.
On Sunday, the left-handed Vondrousova overcame double-fault problems on her serve to save 13 of the 14 break-point chances that 99th-ranked Kontaveit had.
Schiavone puts retirement off a bit longer with Bogota title
Former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone captured her eighth career title with a 6-4, 7-5 win over fourth-seeded Lara Arruabarrena at the Claro Open Colsanitas on Saturday, showing she still has plenty of good tennis left in her as she winds down her career.
The 36-year-old Schiavone had not won a main-draw WTA match all year before stunning 2016 French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens and three other seeded players to win her first title since last year’s Rio Open.
Schiavone, the 2010 Roland Garros champion, has announced she will retire at the end of this season. With the win in Bogota, her ranking will improve from No. 168 to near the top 100, helping her chances of gaining direct entry to the French Open for her final appearance.
“I’m not thinking about retirement,” the Italian said after the match, according to the WTA website. “I’m enjoying tennis.”
Source: Arab News