Solana Sierra and Darja Semenistaja were the big winners at this week's clay-court WTA 125 events.
A three-week run of WTA 125 events in Antalya, Turkey came to a close on Sunday when Argentina's Sierra defeated Spain's Leyre Romero Gormaz 6-3, 6-4 to win the Megasaray Hotels Open #3 title.
In the two previous weeks, Anca Todoni and Olga Danilovic won the first two Megasaray Hotels Opens of this year. This week, it was No. 8 seed Sierra's turn to join the list of Antalya champions.
The 20-year-old Sierra improved as the week progressed. She was pushed to three sets in her first two rounds, but she only dropped one game in the semifinals, and beat Romero Gormaz in a 97-minute final for her first WTA 125 title.
A singles runner-up at 2022 Junior Roland Garros, Sierra's biggest professional title will see her skyrocket from No. 152 to a career-high No. 119 in Monday's updated rankings.
On Saturday, the Antalya #3 doubles title went to Anna Bondar and Simona Waltert, who outlasted Alicia Barnett and Elixane Lechemia 7-5, 2-6, [10-6] in the final. Waltert also won the Antalya #2 doubles title last week partnering Maria Lourdes Carle.
At the Open Internacional Femeni Solgirones on Sunday, Latvia's Semenistaja overcame Dalma Galfi of Hungary 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 to win the WTA 125 singles title in La Bisbal d'Emporda, Spain.
Semenistaja needed just over two hours to hold off Galfi and win her second career WTA 125 title, and first on clay. Semenistaja's first WTA 125 title came on the hard courts of Mumbai, India, last year.
Unlike Sierra in Antalya, Semenistaja had to go three sets in each of her last three matches this week. After her gritty performances this week, her ranking will rise from No. 165 to No. 131 on Monday.
Semenistaja nearly doubled up in La Bisbal, but she was defeated in Saturday's doubles final. No. 1 seeds Magali Kempen and Anna Siskova beat Semenistaja and Nina Stojanovic 7-6(1), 6-1 for the title.
Siskova successfully defended her La Bisbal doubles title. She won the event last year partnering Miriam Kolodziejova.
