Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez clinched her first WTA title by defeating American tennis player Ann Li 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the Merida Open. Sonmez broke into the top 100 in the WTA rankings with this victory.
In the final, Sonmez gained control from the fourth game of the first set, tying the score at 2-2 after firing off three consecutive aces.
She capitalized on Li’s errors in the fifth set to secure a break and showcased resilience in the sixth set, overcoming several setbacks to pull ahead 4-2.
This momentum shift led her to claim the first set 6-2, as Li’s defensive stance waned.
Historic championship for Zeynep Sonmez
With this win, Sonmez becomes only the second Turkish player after Cagla Buyukakcay to win a singles title in a WTA tournament, marking one of the most significant victories in Turkish tennis history.
AFP reported Sonmez as saying, “It was one of my biggest dreams. I’ve been working for this day for 15 years.” Sonmez also thanked ‘the people who saw me in Türkiye at four in the morning.’
Both players pulled double duty on Sunday after rain delays on Saturday.
Li completed a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Polina Kudermetova in their rain-delayed semi-final while Sonmez rallied from 4-2 down in the first set to beat 17-year-old Alina Korneeva 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in their semi-final.
