Rouen final drama: Ukrainian duo battle for Svitolina's crown
Marta Kostyuk (photo: Getty Images)
The main trophy of the WTA 250 Rouen Open international tournament has remained in Ukrainian hands. The baton from Ukraine's top seed Elina Svitolina, who won the event last year, has been passed to the country's second-ranked player Marta Kostyuk.
Marta Kostyuk (Ukraine) – Veronika Podrez (Ukraine) – 6:3, 6:4
Final with historic meaning
Two Ukrainians from different ends of the world rankings — second-ranked Marta Kostyuk (WTA 28) and debutant Veronika Podrez (WTA 209), who is ranked eighth nationally, faced each other in the final match of the tournament in France.
This was the first time in history that two Ukrainian players competed for a WTA title.
Kostyuk was considered the clear favorite as the top seed in Rouen. However, 19-year-old Podrez had already produced several surprises during the tournament, making it risky to bet solely on the higher-ranked player.
Swinging first set
The match began with a surprise: Kostyuk lost her serve, allowing Podrez to take a 1:0 lead. However, Kostyuk quickly regained control, breaking back and then taking another game on her opponent's serve — 3:1. A turning point?
Not quite. Podrez refused to back down, breaking Kostyuk's serve again and leveling the score at 3:3. But the young player could not sustain the momentum. Kostyuk confidently won the next three games to take the opening set 6:3.
Balanced play, decisive break
Kostyuk started the second set more confidently: a break, followed by holding her serve, and a 2:0 lead. But Podrez once again showed resilience, responding in kind to level the score at 2:2.
The set remained closely contested, with the young Veronika matching the more experienced Marta throughout. The turning point came in the ninth game, when Kostyuk won her opponent's serve in a highly tense battle. She then closed out the match on her own serve, securing a 6:4 victory.
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