Fiona Ferro beat Anett Kontaveit in a game of two sets to win the Palermo Ladies Open. That was the first WTA tournament to hold in five months after games were suspended due to the coronavirus. After a competitive week, she sealed her victory with a straight win of 6-2 7-5. This is her second career title.

The French player began the tournament positioned at number 53 on the WTA rankings but her win would put her within the top 50, starting at number 44. The absence of big names in the tournament did not affect the quality of the event as all the players brought their best to the court.

Kontaveit, who ranked at number 22, had her serve broken 5 times by Ferro in the 1 hour 43 minutes game that held in Sicily, Italy.

Speaking after the game, Ferro described it as “my best match of the week,” explaining how she played the game feeling relaxed without feeling any pressure even though it was a final. She said, “I had a good intensity throughout the whole match, I didn’t miss a lot, made a lot of winners, so I’m really happy to have the trophy with me.”

Ferro had been busy all through the Tennis hiatus, taking part in exhibition matches, playing a total of 10, and she went unbeaten in all of them. The tournament observed strict COVID-19 protocols to ensure the safety of the participants and all involved, including the banning of handshakes.

The number of spectators was limited to 300 per day in a venue that sits 1500 people. Tests were conducted for players and officials and the one player who tested positive for the virus had to withdraw from the event. The  WTA would continue with events in Prague and Lexington while the US Open begin on August 31.

Written by: Leon Osamor