Strasbourg Open FINAL: Former World No.1 Angelique Kerber of Germany captured her first clay-court title in more than six years after a nail-biting 7-6(5), 6-7(0), 7-6(5) triumph against Kaja Juvan in the Internationaux de Strasbourg final. Follow InsideSport.IN for more updates
Strasbourg Open FINAL: Angelique Kerber ends six-year wait for clay court title in Strasbourg, defeats Kaja Juvan in longest final of the season
Simply INCREDIBLE 🤯
In one of the matches (and match points) of the season, 🇩🇪 @AngeliqueKerber clinches a 14th career WTA title with a 7-6(5), 6-7(0), 7-6(5) victory over Juvan in Strasbourg!!#IS22 pic.twitter.com/yrXzhnUSKc
— wta (@WTA) May 21, 2022
In the longest WTA Tour singles final of the season, the three-time Grand Slam champion Kerber took 3 hours and 16 minutes to stop World No.81 Juvan, who put up a strong fight in her first singles final.
The No.2 seed Kerber, currently ranked No.22, earned her first title of the season and the 14th title of her career with the win. Before this week, the German’s most recent clay-court trophy was a win on home soil in Stuttgart in 2016.
The victory helps turn around Kerber’s season going into Roland Garros next week. She had won only two matches in 2022 before arriving in Strasbourg, but she is now on a winning streak as she approaches a first-round clash with Magdalena Frech at the French Open.
“The third set, it was head-to-head, it was really close. Playing three tiebreaks in the final shows that it was a really close and tough battle, and I’m really happy how I played at the end, and how I played the last point, actually,” said Kerber after the victory.
Juvan, who is projected to reach a new career-high ranking after this week, plays teenage qualifier Oksana Selekhmeteva in her Roland Garros opener.
Strasbourg Open FINAL: Angelique Kerber ends six-year wait for clay court title in Strasbourg, defeats Kaja Juvan in longest final of the season