(Provided by Tennis World USA)
Maria Timofeeva rode her momentum at the Hungarian Grand Prix all the way to the title. On Sunday, the 19-year-old who’d entered the main draw as a lucky loser defeated Kateryna Baindl, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0 in the final. Timofeeva completed the match three past two hours.This was the fourth match this week in which Timofeeva needed three sets to get the win.
The only match in which she didn’t drop a set or was needed to make a comeback in the match was in the second round. In that match, against fellow 19-year-old Diana Shnaider, Timofeeva lost only two games across the two sets to book her place in what was her maiden quarter-final.In the last match in the Hungarian capital for this year, Baindl was the one who put in more first serves – 78% to Timofeeva’s 70%.
But the world no. 246 won 65% of her first-serve points to her opponent’s 56%. In the deciding set, Timofeeva won 80% of her first-serve points and 69% of points on return on the Ukrainian’s first serve. Timofeeva also won 80% of her second-serve points in that set.Timofeeva saved four of six break points she faced.
All of these break points came in the first two sets. She also converted five of eight break points on Baindl’s serve. For the match, Timofeeva finished with 79 points to her 29-year-old rival’s 69.
Hungarian Grand Prix: Stars aligned for Maria Timofeeva
Post-match, Timofeeva shared, “This is all very new to me, and it feels like a dream, because normally I shouldn’t be here, but here I am.
I’m just so happy and thankful”. Following her victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Maria Timofeeva reached a new career-high of no. 129. Her previous career-best was 193th in the world that she reached in June this year.
Timofeeva’s also the second player, after the then 508th-ranked Elina Svitolina, to win a WTA title with the lowest rank. Svitolina won the Strasbourg International trophy in May, just prior to the French Open.Photo Credit: We are Tennis Twitter
