Number 7 seed Christina McHale fought back from one set down to clinch her maiden WTA-level title with her 3-6 6-4 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova at the Hashimoto Sogyo Japan Women’s Open Tennis, a WTA International- level tournament.
McHale and Siniakova tied 1-1 in their previous two head-to-head matches played in the same venue in Birmingham. While McHale spent 13 hours on court to win each of her previous five matches in the third set (including two at the tie-break in the third set), Siniakova had a easier path to the final winning three matches in straight sets and one in the third set in the second round.
The rain-delayed match started with a trade of breaks in the first two games. Both players held their service games at deuce in the next three consecutive games. Three breaks of serve followed in the next three games. Siniakova broke serve in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. Mchale broke straight back in the seventh game but Siniakova got another break for 5-3 and served out for the first set.
The 20-year-old Czech player made a double fault on her first set at 40-30 point but closed out on her second chance at deuce.
At the start of the second set McHale went down a break at the start of the second set. She faced two break points for 0-3 but saved them at deuce. After a break of 30 minutes due to rain, McHale broke back to draw level to 4-4 and held her service game in the ninth game. The US player broke serve in the 10th game to force the match to the third set.
McHale won eight consecutive service game from 2-4 down in the second set to race out to a 4-0 lead before Siniakova needed a medical time-out to treat her right harmstring. However, Siniakova got one break back in the fifth game for 1-4. The Czech player got the double break back in the ninth game to rally from 2-5 down to 4-5 but McHale held her nerve and sealed the win with another break to love for 6-4, as Siniakova hit her backhand wide.
Before today’s final McHale reached her only previous final in 2014 in Acapulco.
“I have been coming to this tournament for a few hours now and I really love it here. Thanks to all the fans and everyone here for sticking through all the rain delays. We have had a few, especially today”, said McHale.
