Ukrainian teen, 18, destroys Russian rival and makes big WTA splash
Veronika Podrez (photo: ITF)
Ukrainian tennis player Veronika Podrez opened her run at the WTA 125 tournament in Angers with a convincing victory. The 18-year-old athlete won a main-draw match at this level for the first time in her career, defeating Russian player Alina Charaeva 6–1, 6–1.
Impressive main-draw debut
The match, held on December 1 on indoor hard courts, lasted just 1 hour and 21 minutes.
Podrez delivered a flawless performance, giving her opponent no chance at all: the final score of 6–1, 6–1 in favor of the Ukrainian speaks for itself.
Match statistics highlight the Ukrainian tennis player's dominance. Veronika Podrez recorded 5 breaks, did not commit a single double fault, and did not drop her serve once.
Meanwhile, her "neutral" opponent not only failed to hit an ace but also made four double faults and was unable to convert any of her seven break points.
It is worth noting that this was the first-ever meeting between Veronika Podrez and Alina Charaeva.
Successful path through qualifying
Before her opening-round win in the main draw, Podrez also delivered a strong performance in qualifying. In the final qualifying match, she defeated local player Amandine Monnot (No. 431 WTA), who had received a wild card.
The Ukrainian needed 1 hour and 20 minutes to beat the Frenchwoman 6–4, 6–2.
Interestingly, in the first set, Podrez pulled off a true comeback, recovering from 1–3 down with a break.
This is already Podrez's second victory over Monnot, as they previously faced each other at a 75K event in Reims.
Plans for the next round
With this victory, Veronika Podrez secured her place in the next round of the tournament in France.
Her next opponent will be the winner of the match between Spanish tennis player Aliona Bolsova (No. 235 WTA) and the tournament’s second seed, Croatian player Antonia Ružić (No. 78 WTA).
For the 18-year-old Ukrainian, this is only her second career appearance in the main draw of a WTA 125 tournament.
In 2023, she also competed in Limoges but lost in the opening round.
This year's tournament in Angers boasts a prize fund of $115,000. It is an excellent opportunity for the young athlete to advance in the rankings.
