Worldwide fan favorite, Caroline Garcia (FRA) found success at the Tianjin Open, where after a first set scare she held on to capture the first title of her Asian Swing run 7-6(7), 6-3. Stakes were high as her opponent, Karolina Pliskova (CZE) was fighting to secure her place in the coming WTA Finals Singapore, but the World No.16 shocked the crowd as she rallied back from 1-5 down in the first set to force a tiebreak.
"It’s very nice for me to win a title again, because the emotion and the feeling after the match point is something very special and very difficult to describe," Garcia remarked to the press, following the match.
Garcia attributed her newfound confidence to her recent switch to the new VCORE racquet and POLYTOUR STRIKE strings, citing improved power and spin for her dynamic style of tennis. While her chances of reaching the WTA Finals Singapore are slim at best, she’s more than happy to even the record between her and Pliskova at three wins each.
The Yonex pairing of Nicole Melichar (USA) and Květa Peschke (CZE) also took home the women’s doubles title at the Tianjin Open, defeating Monique Adamczak (AUS) and Jessica Moore (AUS) in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2. Melichar/ Peschke duo saved 15 breakpoints on their way to the win, rounding out a successful showing for #TeamYonex in Tianjin over the weekend.
Rising teenage star Dayana Yastremska (UKR), faced top ranked Chinese player Qiang Wang (CHN), claiming her first WTA Singles victory in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. The World No.102 displayed nerves of steel as she devastated her opponent with 33 winners and just 21 unforced errors.
"Before the match, if you feel it’s going to be really difficult, you up your focus level," Yastremska further elaborated. "And when you go on court, you stay more dedicated to each point. That’s what helped me to stay that calm during the whole match." Yastremska told WTA, following the win.