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Maria prevails in battle of generations.

Maria prevails in battle of generations

Bengaluru, 25 January, 2025   

In a battle of the generations, top-seeded Tatjana Maria of Germany edged out teen sensation Linda Fruhvirtova of the Czech Republic and made the final of the $100,000 KPB Trust Women’s Open at the KSLTA courts in Bengaluru on Saturday.

In a match where fortunes fluctuated like a pendulum, the 37-year-old Maria capitalised on Fruhvirtova’s poor final service game in the decider to seal a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 cliffhanger and set up a title clash with Leolia Jeanjean in the biggest-ever ITF World Tennis Tour event in the country. In the other semifinal, Jeanjean prevailed over Czech Sara Bejlek in another thriller, winning 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

The one-hour, 57-minute affair between veteran Maria and the Czech youngster was poised on a knife edge till the last point. But two unforced errors at crucial junctures gave Maria a lifeline in the 10th game of the final set.

Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, the top-seeded German, with spring back in her step, came up with a fine overhead smash to set up three match points. Fruhvirtova saved one but Maria, who rushed the net after drawing the Czech wide, came up with a brilliant drop volley to seal the deal.

In a battle of the equals, it was Maria who began dictating the course of the match after the two traded breaks early on. Forcing her young rival into errors by rushing the net at the slightest opportunity, Maria broke Fruhvirtova in the fifth and seventh games to take the opening set without much ado.

The Czech teen, who was just a year old when Maria won her maiden ITF title in 2006, took a toilet break and returned a different player. She began to find her rhythm and range and winners -- off both flanks -- flowed thick and fast from her racquet. She broke Maria with a brilliant backhand crosscourt winner in the second game.

The German made her frustration evident with a rare show of emotion. The Czech girl realised she had rival on the ropes and broke again in the fourth with three brilliant service returns that her stranded rival looked on in total disbelief.

Maria saved a breakpoint in the sixth to pull one game back, but couldn’t stop the marauding Fruhvirtova from taking the set. It was anyone’s game after the two exchanged breaks early in the third set. The Czech girl went up a break in the seventh, but Maria broke right back in the eighth before Fruhvirtova imploded in the 10th game to bow out.

“It was up and down for both of us and a really tactical game. I’m super happy that I could win in the end,” said a relieved Maria.

JESSIE-JESSICA PAIR TRIUMPHS

A little later, the fourth-seeded pair of Jessie Aney and Jessica Failla overcame mid-match blues before annexing the doubles crown.

The Americans, who were beaten in the final last week in New Delhi, scored a 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 win over the top-seeded Russian pairing of Amina Anshba and Elena Pridankina.

The champions took home a cheque for $5,573 and earned 100 ranking points. The runners-up had to settle for a cheque for $2,787 and 65 ranking points.

The country’s biggest ITF tournament is sponsored by KPB Family Trust, Dafa News, Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, Oriental Lotus, MSIL and Vaia Climate.

Results (prefix denotes seeding): Singles (Semifinals): 1-Tatjana Maria (Ger) bt Linda Fruhvirtova (Cze) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4; 7-Leolia Jeanjean (Fra) bt 8-Sara Bejlek (Cze) 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

Doubles (Final): 4-Jessie Aney/ Jessica Failla (US) bt 1-Amina Anshba/ Elena Pridankina (Rus) 6-2, 4-6, 10-6.


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