Tennis Atlantic

Daria Kasatkina Wins Volvo Car Open
Tony Callaio, Tennis Atlantic

Daria Kasatkina, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio)

The Volvo Car Open concluded where a new champion was crowned and a star is born. Daria Kasatkina, the 19-year old from Russia took her first WTA title away from another 19-year old seeking her first WTA title, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 6-1.

Daria Kasatkina, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio)

Kasatkina played steady and seemed unnerved being in a WTA final. She played consistent, mixing up power and slice throwing off Ostapenko’s power game.
The serve of Kasatkina was the key advantage over Ostapenko by winning 69% first serves points to 57% from Ostapenko. The match lasted one-hour-and-six-minutes.

Ostapenko said she wasn’t feeling the ball as well as she had been during the tournament. “It was just probably not my day,” Ostapenko said.

After the win, Kasatkina dropped to her knees on the green clay before rising with her mouth covered holding back the tears. That didn’t last too long as she wept in her chair just before the trophy presentation.

Daria Kasatkina, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio)

The tears kept flowing during her winner’s speech thanking all of her family and coaches in her player’s box.

“I don’t realize it yet, so I’m just enjoying it every moment, every second. And really, when I was on the court after the last point, I just wanted the moment to stop because it was one of the best moments in my life,” Kasatkina admitted in post match press.

Daria Kasatkina, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio)

With a great week now behind the two teen stars, Kasatkina will jump into the Top 30 while Ostapenko will reside in the Top 50 as they both look forward to the European clay court season leading up to the French Open.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova, 2017 Volvo Car Open (Photo: Tony Callaio)

The World’s No. 1 doubles team and the tournament’s No. 1 seed Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova downed 4th seed team of Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova in a third set, super tiebreak 6-1, 4-6, 10-7 to win their first Volvo Car Open coupled together as a team.