In an epic showdown, Emina Bektas emerged victorious against Anna Kalinskaya to claim the WTA 125 Abierto Tampico title in Tampico, Mexico. The nail-biting final lasted for 2 hours and 18 minutes, with Bektas making a remarkable comeback in the third set. This triumph marks Bektas’ first-ever WTA 125 title and adds to her impressive performance in the latter half of the year. At the age of 30, Bektas has climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 104, a significant improvement from her position at No. 337 in January. Her journey to success began with a quarterfinal appearance in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in June, followed by a semifinal run in Seoul earlier this month. Now, she has secured the most prestigious title of her career in Tampico.
The final started with Bektas dominating the opening set, not allowing Kalinskaya to break her serve. However, Kalinskaya fought back in the second set, eventually leveling the match after a hard-fought battle. In the decisive third set, Kalinskaya took an early lead by breaking Bektas’ serve. Yet, Bektas quickly retaliated, leveling the score at 3-3. These were the only two breaks in the set, leading the players into a thrilling tiebreak. Bektas showed incredible resilience, winning five out of the next six points and securing triple championship point at 6-3. With a powerful forehand return, she sealed the victory and claimed the title.
In the doubles final held on Saturday, Kamilla Rakhimova and Anastasia Tikhonova emerged as the champions. They defeated the top-seeded duo of Sabrina Santamaria and Heather Watson in a thrilling match that lasted 1 hour and 36 minutes. This victory marks Tikhonova’s first-ever WTA 125 doubles title, while Rakhimova adds another title to her collection, having previously won the WTA 125 doubles title in Rouen last year alongside Natela Dzalamidze.