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Maria wears KPB Trust Women’s Open crown.

Maria wears KPB Trust Women’s Open crown

Bengaluru, 26 January, 2025   

Top-seeded Tatjana Maria rallied from a set down to edge out Leolia Jeanjean, who blew hot and cold, to emerge triumphant in the $100,000 KPB Trust Women’s Open at the KSLTA courts here on Sunday.

Forced to play catch-up for the early part of the two-hour, 41-minute encounter, Maria, a counterpuncher, made the most of the Frenchwoman’s largesse in the second and third sets to score a 6-7 (0-7), 6-3, 6-4 victory.

“It was an intense match today, like the semifinal. I’m super happy that I could win the title,” Maria said. “This is my second title here in India,” added the German, who took home a cheque for $15,239 and 100 WTA ranking points. Jeanjean had to settle for $8,147 and 65 ranking points.

Known for her ability to chase down balls besides her never-say-die spirit, Maria, who imploded in the first set tiebreak, came back in stunning fashion to smother the dominant Jeanjean’s challenge.

It was Maria’s grit more than any brilliance on her part that stood out on the day. For, she kept the ball in play with her sliced backhand returns and forced the Frenchwoman into errors. Jeanjean, who was on top of the game in the opening set, -- drawing Maria wide and finishing off with volley winners at will -- for some strange reason began to play a more defensive game in the second set.

The German wasn’t complaining as Jeanjean, who won the tiebreak 7-0, played right into her hands. A slew of errors in the third game helped the top seed go up a break. Another poor service game in the fifth helped Maria take a 4-1 lead.

Two brilliant down-the-line winners helped Jeanjean break back in the sixth game and then held to love in the seventh. The small gathering sensed a fightback from the seventh seed, but the errors crept back into her game and a double-fault at set point allowed the German to force a decider.

The final set was a near replica of the second. Maria, ranked 90 in the world, broke early and the world No. 149 broke back in the seventh and held to love in the next. Like in the second, she committed several errors on serve in the 10th game to let the top seed walk away with the title.

A double fault gave Maria a match point, which Jeanjean saved with a huge forehand winner. She handed Maria another match point when a forehand sailed long. This time, Jeanjean hit her two-handed backhand crosscourt wide with Maria stranded on the other side of the court.

“She’s a tricky player and can do a lot of things. It was really a tricky match. I tried to put as many balls back as possible because I knew she was also a bit tired. At the end it was a big fight,” said a relieved Maria.

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

Result (Final): 1-Tatjana Maria (Ger) bt 7-Leolia Jeanjean (Fra) 6-7 (0-7), 6-3, 6-4.


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