October 3, 2015
Tashkent Open Final
By: Jillian Wright
It was only two weeks ago at the Japan Open that Nao Hibino of Japan won her first WTA match in her first WTA main event appearance. Today she won her first WTA title beating Donna Vekic of Croatia in straight sets at the Tashkent Open: 6-2, 6-2. Hibino did not drop a set in the tournament.
In the trophy ceremony after the match, Hibino praised the peaceful and welcoming atmosphere of the tournament. She said that she was very happy to win her first WTA title in Tashkent and hoped to be back next year. Currently ranked 117, the 20 year old will move up to the top eighty when the rankings come out on Monday.
This was the fourth finals appearance for Vekic. The 19-year-old was also the runner up in this tournament in 2012. She has one WTA title, the 2014 Malaysian Open where she bested Dominika Cibulkova. Vekic is ranked 137, she should move up about 30 spots. Throughout most of the match Hibino was able to dictate play with penetrating ground stokes, nice angles and good movement. She got off to a fine start breaking Vekic in the first game. Vekic lost serve again seventh game to go down 2-5. In the first set, Vekic faced eight break points, saving six of them. Her serve let her down, with a first serve percentage of 57% and winning only 53% of her service points. Hibino did not show any signs of nerves serving for the set and won it 6-2.
The second set started in the same fashion as the first. Vekic had been up 40-0 in the first game, but Hibino fought back get the early break – aided in part by two Vekic double faults. Hibino added another break in the fifth game and went on to win the set 6-2. Vekic’s first serve percentage was low again in the second set (just 42%) and she won only 52% of her service points compared to Hibino won 70% of her service points.
It was a good win for Hibino, beating one of the WTA’s rising stars. Vekic has been ranked as high as 62 (July 2013) and has much more tour level experience than Hibino.
