Liudmila Samsonova (60th in the world) won the tournament on hard courts in Washington, her second title on the WTA circuit, by overthrowing 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 the Estonian Kaia Kanepi, (37th), Sunday in final.
The 23-year-old Russian, who participated as her opponent of the day in her first final in 2022, had opened her counter last year by winning on the grass of Berlin.
She couldn’t defend his chances on that of Wimbledon at the end of Junethe organizers of the London tournament having not allowed players from his country and Belarus to participate, in response to the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army.
It was therefore after a six-week absence that Samsonova made her winning return to the courts, dismissing three seeds, the Belgian Elise Mertens (N.8), the Briton Emma Raducanu (N.2), who will defend his title at the US Open in three weeks, and Kanepi (N.6).
The latter, reborn at 37 and anxious to take revenge on her young rival who had beaten her during their first face-to-face, in the 1st round of Wimbledon last year, was aiming for a fifth title.
She had the best start, winning the first set by relying on her power in the rallies and showing realism to convert her only break point at 5-4.
Samsonova reacted well in the second set, breaking twice taking advantage of an accumulation of errors from the Estonian. Embarrassed in particular in reverse and less dominating, the latter cracked in the 8th game of the last round by giving up her commitment, the Russian not missing the opportunity then to conclude on hers after 1:46.
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