No. 1 seed Anastasia Potapova came from behind to post a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over unseeded Lucia Bronzetti and win the WTA 250 Transylvania Open title in Cluj-Napoca on Sunday.
World No. 32 Potapova needed 2 hours and 2 minutes to battle back from a set down and best 72nd-ranked Bronzetti in the final. With the win, Potapova extended her perfect head-to-head against Bronzetti to 5-0.
"I’m so happy right now because [it was] such a battle," Potapova said after her triumph. "She is such a great player, she always pushed me to the limits, and I’m really happy that I’m able to hold [the trophy] in my hands now.
"I can be really patient on court, and actually, I can set the highest goals for myself and work for it."
This is Potapova's third career WTA singles title, and second on indoor hard court. Her most recent title before this week also came on this surface, two years ago in Linz. Potapova's maiden title came on clay at 2022 Istanbul.
Match breakdown: In Sunday's early going, it looked like Bronzetti might get her first win over Potapova. The Italian edged ahead by a break by 5-4, then cranked back-to-back forehand winners down the line during a thunderous hold to seal the one-set lead. It was the first set Potapova dropped all week.
Bronzetti had a break point in the first game of the second set as well, but Potapova erased that chance with a powerful down-the-line backhand of her own. After getting out of that game with a hold, Potapova started to turn the match in her favor.
Potapova went on to win the final five games of the second set, leveling the encounter. Potapova chopped her unforced errors from 25 in the opener to just 11 in the second set. The top seed also out-winnered Bronzetti by 12 to four in the second set.
A love break to open the final set helped Potapova ease to victory. At 5-2, Bronzetti saved three championship points, the third with a bold forehand winner down the line, but Potapova found some of her top serves of the day on the next two points to clinch the title.
First-time doubles champions: Magali Kempen of Belgium and Anna Siskova of the Czech Republic captured the Transylvania Open doubles title. They defeated Romanian hope Jaqueline Cristian and Italy's Angelica Moratelli 6-3, 6-1 in Sunday's final.
This is the first WTA doubles title for both Kempen and Siskova, who teamed up for the very first time this week. They had each reached one WTA doubles final previously.
Their team debut week peaked in the final, which they won in just 1 hour and 11 minutes. Kempen and Siskova won 78 percent of points returning second serves, leading to a 6-for-9 break point conversion rate en route to the trophy.
