Minnen matches biggest title-win yet at W60 Sunderland
Greet Minnen matched her career-best triumph on the ITF World Tennis Tour after winning the title at W60 Sunderland on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Belgian, who won the most significant tournament of her career to date on German soil at W60 Altenkirchen 12 months ago, repeated that feat this weekend with a 6-2 1-6 6-0 triumph over Mona Barthel in the North-East of the UK.
Minnen, a former world No. 69, will be hoping her 10th ITF singles crown can spark a return to her former heights following an indifferent run of form of late.
The Belgian had lost nine of the 11 main draw matches she had contested since last summer’s Wimbledon before arriving in Sunderland, including first round defeats at W60 Canberra and the Australian Open earlier this month.
Five wins on the spin last week have bucked that trend, and as a result she climbed 39 places in the WTA rankings to No. 184 on Monday.
Meanwhile, Oceane Dodin continued her flying start to 2023 on the ITF World Tennis Tour after winning her second title of the month – and most significant tournament victory in over six years – at W60 Andrezieux Boutheon.
The 26-year-old Frenchwoman saw off compatriot Audrey Albie 3-6 6-2 7-5 to add a 15th professional singles title to her collection, and follow on from her triumph at W25 Monastir at the turn of the month.
Dodin, who reached the WTA Top 50 in 2017, climbs to No. 109 in the WTA rankings as a result of her biggest win since she scooped the W100 title in Poitiers in October 2016.
Elsewhere, Tatjana Maria breezed to the title at W40 Pune without dropping a set. The 35-year-old German, who travels the tour with her husband and two young children in tow, proved a fitting champion at the event - which was notable for the Advantage All initiative which saw it provide an all-female officiating team in a first-of-its-kind initiative for Indian tennis.
Maria has now won three titles since giving birth to her second child in April 2021.
At the other end of the age spectrum, eighteen-year-old Lola Radivojevic won her biggest title to date – and fourth professional singles crown – at W25 Monastir.
Discover all the week’s winners on the ITF World Tennis Tour here