Sell-out crowd to enjoy W100 final as Marketa Vondrousova faces Eva Lys at The Shrewsbury Club
Pictured: Eva Lys, who won a W60 tournament in Slovakia last week, got the better of Ana Konjuh to reach tomorrow’s final at The Shrewsbury Club. Picture: Richard Dawson Photography.
Marketa Vondrousova will face Eva Lys in the singles final of The Shrewsbury Club's ITF World Tennis Tour event in front of a capacity crowd tomorrow. Having produced fine performances throughout the week in Shropshire, they both delivered once again in the Budgen Motors W100 tournament to seal last four victories in straight sets. Czech Republic star Vondrousova, 23, beat top seed Anhelina Kalinina from Ukraine, who is currently ranked in the world’s top 50, 7-6, 6-3 in the day’s opening match. Vondrousova, who reached the 2019 French Open final and was a silver medallist at last year’s Olympics, saved three set points to take the opening set and never looked back as she completed an impressive win. This is just the second tournament Vondrousova has played since April after making her return at a W80 tournament in France last week. She is currently ranked 121 in the world having been as high as 14.
In-form German ace Lys, 20, then booked her place in the W100 Shrewsbury final with a 7-5, 6-2 success over Croatian Ana Konjuh, once ranked as high as 20 in the world. Lys, who won a W60 tournament in Slovakia last week, has now won nine matches in a row and has climbed to a current career-high ranking of 126. All the tickets for tomorrow’s finals day have been snapped up, with the singles final, which starts at 1.30pm, to be followed by the doubles final, which will also feature Vondrousova as her fine week in Shrewsbury continues.
Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, said: "One of the reasons we have been able to host higher ranking events at The Shrewsbury Club is because of the reputation we have built over the years for attracting really good crowds.
"It’s fantastic that local people have responded so well to this W100 tournament and the quality of players competing in Shrewsbury by ensuring that finals day is a sell-out with every seat taken.
"It promises to be a special day and we are looking forward to two exciting singles and doubles finals to end what has been a wonderful week.”
Lys, whose run to the Shrewsbury final has also seen her defeat British players Emily Appleton, Jodie Burrage and Lily Miyazaki, was pleased to come through her semi-final clash against Konjuh.
"I am enjoying playing here,” she said. "I am enjoying the time on court right now, so I was really having much fun and I was just trying to do whatever I could to win this match and at the end it worked, and I’m very happy with my result today.”
Looking ahead to the final, Lys added: "I’m just happy to play here. I’m going to enjoy it out there and I’m very happy that I made finals this week.
"I won my last tournament, so honestly I don’t have any expectations. I’m just going to go out there and have fun and see where it goes.”
Eighth seed Vondrousova, reflecting on her victory over Kalinina and saving set points in the opening set, said: "It was very tough. I played some amazing points for the set points, so I’m just very happy to be through because it was a very tough match from the beginning.”
Vondrousova returned to the court later in the afternoon with her doubles partner Miriam Kolodziejova from the Czech Republic to also reach the doubles final.
The fourth seeds, who won a W80 title in France last week, beat Nigina Abduraimova from Uzbekistan and Paula Kania-Chodun from Poland 6-3, 7-6.
They will now play Jessika Ponchet from France and Renata Voracova from the Czech Republic in tomorrow’s doubles final.
On being in both the W100 Shrewsbury singles and doubles finals, Vondrousova added: "It’s amazing. I didn’t play for a very long time, so I’m just really enjoying to be back on the court and to play with my best friend also doubles is so special, so I think we’re both happy.”