Guadalajara (Mexico), Sep 16 (IANS) Magdalena Frech clinched the first WTA Tour singles title of her career with a 7-6(5), 6-4 win over Australian qualifier Olivia Gadecki in the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open summit clash.
On Sunday evening, Frech needed just under two hours to seal victory over 152nd-ranked Gadecki in the final. With the win, she made her Top-40 debut in the WTA Singles rankings, occupying 37th place in the list.
“Dreams come true, it’s my first title and it’s amazing. It’s an incredible feeling, thank you for all the support, I just want to say, long live Guadalajara, long live Mexico!” Frech said after her title triumph.
In her first WTA 500 final on hard court, Frech did not miss the opportunity to confirm 2024 as the best season of her career, by winning 23 matches. She had previously reached championship contention in Prague on clay.
The 26-year-old Pole made her first hard-court quarterfinal last month, also in Mexico, in Monterrey. This week, she stormed into her first hard-court semifinal and final, and now she is a champion on tour for the first time, according to WTA stats.
Frech is only the fourth Pole to win a singles title this century, joining Magda Linette, Agnieszka Radwanska and Iga Swiatek.
“Australian Open fourth round, the final in Prague, and the title here, it’s the most amazing year of my career for sure. I’m super proud about my achievements this year, it’s really amazing. Hard work from the previous years is paying off right now, and I’m so glad about this. I will try to keep this momentum going,” Frech said.
–IANS
bc/
