[서울=뉴스핌] Reporter Park Sang-wook = National tennis player Koo Yeon-woo (22, CJ CheilJedang) once again achieved a ‘growth smash’. She won the singles title at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W35 Lagos International Women’s Tournament held in Lagos, Portugal, earning her third title of the season.
Koo Yeon-woo defeated Caroline Ansari (24, WTA No. 417) of the United States with a set score of 2-1 (6-2 4-6 7-6) in the final of the tournament held in Lagos, Portugal on the 26th (local time) to reach the top. In the 3rd set, in a precipice situation where the game score was down 1-5, he created a comeback drama with a tenacious shot that took him to a 6-6 tiebreak.
| Koo Yeon-woo won the singles title at the ITF W35 Lagos International Women’s Tournament on the 26th (local time). [사진=프레인스포츠] |
This tournament is a mid-level tour in which players aiming to enter the top 100 in the world rankings participate in the ‘W35 class’ organized by the ITF to accumulate ranking points. It is a gateway for young players seeking to secure a spot in the Grand Slam qualifying rounds at the level just below the ATP/WTA regular tour.
With this win, Koo Yeon-woo is likely to enter the top 270 in the world rankings. Gyeongshin, with the highest personal ranking (294th), was also within sight. This is his third ITF W35 class win this year and his sixth singles title in his career.
Koo Yeon-woo advanced to the finals of this tournament with a 2-0 shutout victory in the first and second rounds, quarterfinals, and semifinals. In the semifinals, he defeated Italy’s 5th seed Vittoria Paganetti 2-0 (6-1 6-1).
Koo Yeon-woo said, “I am even more happy because it has been a long time since I won a title in Europe,” and added, “It was worth moving early to train to adapt to the time difference.” He added, “This is the first time we’ve come back from 1-5. It’s meaningful because we overcame the pressure with our hearts and held on mentally to win.”
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