Czech Republic’s Lucie Safarova won her fifth career WTA title at the Challenge Bell Tournament in Quebec City on Sunday after defeating Marina Erakovic of New Zealand 6-4, 6-3. The third-seed was broken early in the first set but went on to build momentum and comclude the match in an hour and 29 minutes.
This has been a long wait for Safarova where her last title win was at Forest Hills in 2008.
“It was just about a few points today, but I was more consistent with my game and more aggressive, and I think that’s why I won,” Safarova said. “My strategy was to try to go to her backhand side and just try to use my lefty shots as well as I could. I was a little bit nervous at the end because it was so long since my last WTA title – I really wanted to win the title today – so it’s great I was able to do that.”
It was a slightly disappointing finish for Erakovic, having reached this far two years ago but lost to another Czech player – Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
“I really tried hard to get things right, but Lucie made it very difficult for me today,” Erakovic said. “She played solid and didn’t let up her lead at all. And I was struggling to find my rhythm with her lefty serve and in the rallies – so I just have to take my hat off to her and move on now.
“I played good tennis and made the finals here, so overall not too much to be disappointed about!”
The doubles title went to number two seeds Anastasia Rodionova and Alla Kudryavtseva who upset top-seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka. Hlavockova and Hradecka was fresh from winning the women’s doubles title at the US Open last weekend.
