Veronika Kudermetova has won the Volvo Car Open after beating her Montenegrin opponent Danka Kovinic 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 45 minutes to win her first ever WTA title.
In what was her second Tour final of the season after Abu Dhabi, the Russian hit 22 winners against 19 unforced errors to cap off what has been a dream week. Kudermetova didn’t drop a set in the entire tournament en route to the title. Something that hadn’t been achieved since 2012 when Serena Williams lifted the title. She is only the third Russian woman to have won Charleston and the first since Daria Kasatkina in 2017.
“To be honest when I came here I did not think I could take the title because I did not prepare well even before Miami and I had troubles in my head,” the 23-yeare-old said following her win.
“I told myself I need to work and see how I will do here.”
The Russian got off to a fast start after earning two breakpoints in the opening game of the match but Kovinic was up to the task of saving them. However, the world No.91 was eventually broken on a third breakpoint.
At 2-1 the number 15 seed faced some pressure on her serve from the Montenegrin and would break to go back on serve. Two games later at 3-3 the Russian responded by earning three more breakpoints and broke once again.
Serving to stay in the set at 5-3 Kovinic faced two set points before being able to hold serve before the Russian served out the first set.
The first four games of the second set went with serve before Kudermetova once again earned two chances to get the first break of the set but it would take a third to break and take a 3-2 lead.
After consolidating the break the Montenegrin struggled on serve and a double fault gave her opponent a breakpoint and she would break en route to victory.
“I feel amazing, for me it doesn’t matter that I am not losing one set, it’s more important to take my first title but I feel really amazing and proud of myself,” Kudermetova said during her press conference.
Kudermetova will rise to number 29 in the new world rankings on Monday.
