In week 41 of the 2019 ITF World Tennis Tour season it was a case of third time lucky for 18-year-old Sada Nahimana who made history at W25 Lagos, proudly becoming Burundi’s first ever singles champion of a professional tournament.

Nahimana has been training at the ITF/CAT High Performance Tennis Centre in Morocco since 2013 and has been on over 15 Grand Slam Development Fund Touring Teams throughout her junior career, as well as benefitting from ITF Junior Player Grants in 2018 and 2019.

Now, having twice been runner-up in back-to-back ITF World Tennis Tour finals in Kenya during the summer which saw her earn a WTA ranking for the first time, Nahimana went one better in Nigeria coming from behind to defeat Brazilian Laura Pigossi 2-6 6-4 6-3 to finally get her hands on the winner’s trophy.

“It feels really good to have won in Lagos – and it feels different, because now I get those WTA points,” Nahimana said.

"In pro tennis you get more mental matches and you have to stay tough. The older girls know how ‘mess up’ junior players mentally, I was really focused and that’s what helped me to win.

“Before going to Lagos I was really working hard on my game, to try and improve every aspect of my game, and even changed my serve. As for my attitude I was trying to stay calm and stay in the moment."

Nahimana paid tribute to the crowds at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club: "They were cheering for me so much, loved me just like I love them. That’s the memory I’ll remember forever. My coach bought me a cake to celebrate."

Her victory last weekend will see her rise significantly to a new career high. Nahimana is a successful Junior, with a career-high ranking of No.12, and claimed a significant win at J1 in Nottingham this year. Before the year is out, she will return to the juniors in a bid to end the season in the top 20.

A three-time Fed Cup champion with Italy, multiple Grand Slam champion in doubles and former WTA Doubles number 1,  Sara Errani last week claimed her first doubles title of the year. Having bowed out in the opening round of the singles event of the W25 Riba tournament, Errani teamed up with Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena and, unseeded, the duo took on Marie Benoit and Ioana Loredana Rosca in the title match having both earned their placed in the final on match tiebreaks.

The final saw Errani and Arruabarrena fall behind for the second match in succession before turning the match around and send both pairs into another match tiebreak. With the title on the line, the match tiebreak was closely fought with Errani and Arruabarrena edging it 10-8.

Seven players were celebrating their maiden singles title triumphs on the ITF World Tennis Tour with one, Alec Adamson, also emerging a double title winner in the week.

American Adamson, 25, was competing at the M15 Cancun tournament and reached what was his second career singles final, almost 12 months after his first, with a three-set win over qualifier and fellow American Alexander Knight on the Saturday morning before returning in the afternoon to secure a third doubles title in as many finals this year.

Sunday’s singles final saw sixth seed Adamson take on the fifth seeded Peruvian Jorge Brian Panta who took the first set 6-4. Adamson hit back to level the match and then grew stronger in the deciding set as he pushed on to claim his first singles title with a 4-6 6-3 6-2 win.

Joining Adamson in the First Time Winners Club were Carlos Gimeno Valero (M25 Riba), Giulio Zeppieri (M25 Santa Margherita di Pula), Khumoyun Sultanov (M15 Karshi), Mariia Tkacheva (W15 Antalya), Hong Yi Cody Wong (W15 Hua Hin) and, as mentioned at W25 Lagos, Nahimana.

Adamson was also in the company of five other players in winning both singles and doubles titles at the weekend. Marek Gengel (M15 Sharm El Sheikh), Ignacio Monzon (M15 Tabarka), Justina Mikulskyte (W15 Sharm El Shiekh), Oana Georgeta Simion (W15 Telavi) and Guillermina Naya (W15 Buenos Aires).