Kirsten Flipkens downs Lucie Hradecka for her maiden WTA title – Bell Challenge 2012
26-year-old Belgian, Kirsten Flipkens, broke into the winners’ circle this week after claiming her maiden WTA championship title at Bell Challenge. She outmuscled the Czech tennis ace, Lucie Hradecka, 6-1, 7-5, in the final of
the event on Sunday.
Ranked at number 102 prior to his voyage at Bell Challenge, Flipkens lunged 32 placed in the WTA Premier Rankings to clinch the world number 69 spot this week. It was her third encounter with Hradecka and she stamped her authority
comprehensively to lead 2-1 against her in the head-to-head series.
The eighth seeded Czech was rated as the hot favourite for winning the title match but it was a brilliant performance from Flipkens which outclassed Hradecka in the end. The Belgian had a superb serve game in the contest, winning
31 out of 37 first serve points and nailing four out of eight break points to come out as the dominant winner.
"I played really well and really aggressively in the first set," Flipkens said after the final. "I feel my only advantage in the second set was the break at 5-all - it was a really close match and I was down in a lot of the games
I won. I have to give credit to Lucie - she came back strong in the second set. It's been a rough year for me. All the emotions come out when you win your first WTA title. I was No.260 in June - I didn't even get into the qualies of Wimbledon - and now I have
my first WTA title. You can only imagine how I'm feeling now after all of this. This is the best day of my life."
Flipkens was absolutely destructive in the opening set, breaking the Czech serve three times to register a breadstick. Her crushing impetus was hampered down in the following set with some strong resistance from the eighth seeded
rival. Hradecka fought well till the end but a cracking break of serve towards the end sealed the contest for her at 7-5.
A total of 117 points were played in the matchup, with Flipkens winning 65 and her opponent closely following with 52 to finish on the losing side.
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