Swiss wins first WTA event held in Switzerland since 2008
The first WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) event staged in Switzerland since 2008 has ended with a home-nation winner on the clay courts of Gstaad.
Swiss tennis player Viktorija Golubic won her first WTA title, beating French Open semifinalist Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Ladies Championship GstaadExternal link.
The tournament’s slogan was “The girls are back in the Alps”.
“It’s unbelievable to win at home,” Golubic said.
The 23-year-old Swiss, ranked 105 in the world, will enter the top 100 for the first time when new standings are confirmed on Monday. Golubic, who was unseeded, raised her game against the 26th-ranked Bertens to win all seven breakpoint chances she created.
The WTA Tour previously visited the exclusive resort in the Bernese Oberland in 1983. The most recent WTA tournament held in Switzerland was the Zurich Open, won by Venus Williams eight years ago.
Golubic’s breakthrough season has peaked at home. In April, she won two singles matches in a Fed Cup semifinal at Lucerne that Switzerland lost to the two-time defending champions Czech Republic.
The men’s eventExternal link, featuring five Swiss players, although not Roger Federer or Stan Wawrinka, runs until July 24. The Swiss Open Gstaad celebrated its centenary last year.
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