Minnen claims biggest win yet at W60 Altenkirchen

Greet Minnen claimed the biggest singles title of her career – and first in three years – on the ITF World Tennis Tour at W60 Altenkirchen on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Belgian saw off rising Ukrainian star Daria Snigur 6-4 6-3 in the final of the German tournament to win her ninth ITF singles crown in total and first above W25 level.

“I had a great week in Altenkirchen,” said Minnen. “I want to thank my coach, my family and my friends. Without their help, my victories wouldn't be possible.”

Minnen, who lost both of her opening matches of the year in Australia (falling at the WTA event in Melbourne before a first-round exit to Romanian Jacqueline Adina Cristian at the Australian Open) has since seen an upturn in fortunes in two of three successive W60 tournaments on the ITF World Tennis Tour.

A quarter-finalist on French soil at W60 Grenoble ahead of her title-winning run in Altenkirchen, Minnen now heads to Kazakhstan for the W60 Nur-Sultan event where she will seek to win back-to-back tournaments for the first time in her career.

World No. 137 Snigur, meanwhile, missed the chance to add to her tally of six ITF singles titles in what was just her fourth tournament appearance since she achieved her most significant triumph yet at W100+H Dubai back in November.

"I'm happy having reached my first final this year,” said Snigur. “Greet was a great opponent and it was a great experience to play against a Top 100 player."

Elsewhere last week, a Fruhvirtova sister was among the titlists for a third week in a row – with 16-year-old Linda emulating younger sister Brenda (who drew attention after becoming the first 14-year-old to win ITF singles titles in successive weeks) by winning her first title at W25 level.

Fruhvirtova defeated Canadian Rebecca Marino 6-3 6-4 to win W25 Cancun and add to her twin triumphs at W15 Monastir last February.

It was also a good weekend for Japan, who could celebrate three singles winners in the same week following triumphs for Moyuka Uchijima, Hiromi Abe and Mana Ayukawa.

Great Britain’s Sonay Kartal has also doubled her career title haul over the last few weeks, winning back-to-back tournaments on British soil at W25 Birmingham and W25 Glasgow to add to her W15 wins in Antalya and Monastir towards the end of last year.

Click here for all of the weekend’s women’s results on the ITF World Tennis Tour