NEWPORT BEACH, CA, USA – No.5 seed Madison Brengle claimed the 2020 Oracle Challenger Series Newport Beach presented by RBC Wealth Management title with a hard-fought three-set victory against Stefanie Voegele.
In an encounter that lasted one hour 45 minutes, the American player prevailed over the No.6 seed, 6-1, 3-6, 6-2, becoming the first home star to lift an Oracle Challenger Series title since Danielle Collins in 2018.
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The players had never previously met, but it was WTA World No.95 Brengle who was the quicker to settle into a rhythm as she dominated the opening set.
She swept to the opening three games before her Swiss opponent saved consecutive break points to finally get on the board.
The set, however, was swiftly wrapped up by the home player for the loss of just that single game.
Madison Brengle is the Newport Beach singles champion! 🏆
— Oracle Challenger Series (@OracleChallngrs) February 2, 2020
She becomes the first 🇺🇸woman to win an Oracle Challenger Series title since Danielle Collins did so here in 2018 👏
6-1, 3-6, 6-2 over Voegele. #RoadtoIndianWells pic.twitter.com/IZL8ZcuQoV
If the opener had been distinctly one-sided, the second was far more competitive.
Voegele leapt out to an early lead, aided by an early break to love, and though that was cancelled out, she gritted her teeth to win a lengthy fourth game to push clear once more.
The 29-year-old, though, was not giving her rival anything easy, and after the pair exchanged two more breaks finally succumbed on the third set point.
Both players were finding it increasingly difficult to hold on serve, which made the long opening game of the deciding set especially important.
Voegele was unable to convert either of the break points that she fashioned and was unable to hold in a similar game on her own delivery next up.
Indeed, the Swiss would be broken on each of the four occasions she served in the decider, rendering the two breaks that she earned worthless.
Brengel, therefore, closed out her first WTA Challenger title, the biggest trophy she has won in her professional career to date, and further cemented her place in the Top 100 of the WTA Ranking.