TOKYO — Christina McHale of the United States rallied to beat Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 Sunday to win the Japan Open and claim her first WTA singles title.
Seventh-seeded McHale broke her opponent seven times including in the final game to secure the win at Ariake Tennis Park.
Siniakova, also bidding for her first singles title, got off to a promising start by winning the first set but couldn’t hold a 4-2 lead in the second set when McHale put together a run of eight straight games to take control.
“I don’t even want to put my trophy down — I just want to hold it all the time,” McHale said. “I’ve been coming to this tournament for a few years now and I really love it here.”
Sunday’s match was the second career singles final for the 24-year-old McHale. She lost to Dominika Cibulkova in Acapulco in 2014.
Siniakova, who also lost in the Bastad final in July, came back from 5-2 down in the third set to force a tense conclusion.
But McHale’s nerve held steady, closing out an emotional victory when Siniakova sent a backhand wide.
“I’m here in the final for the second time and unfortunately it was really tough for me, so I’m a little sad,” Siniakova said. “But Christina played really well, so congratulations to her.”
Dodin to face Davis in final
French teen Oceane Dodin and US qualifier Lauren Davis, each seeking her first WTA title, advanced to the Quebec City hardcourt final Saturday with a three-set triumph.
Dodin fired 17 aces in defeating American Julia Boserup 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, to reach her first WTA final while Davis downed fellow qualifier Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-2.
Davis, ranked 104th, needed two hours and 25 minutes to reach her second WTA final, the first coming last July at Washington when she lost to Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer.
Dodin, a 19-year-old from Lille ranked 132nd in the world, took one hour and 44 minutes to dispatch Boserup.
Dodin had never reached a WTA quarter-final until this week, but she did win her first International Tennis Federation development series crown two weeks ago at Barcelona.
Davis, 22, and Dodin have never played against each other in a WTA event. — Agencies
