Daria Kasatkina downs Leylah Fernandez to win Eastbourne final, Diana Shnaider wins first WTA title at Bad Homburg
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ByEurosport
Updated 29/06/2024 at 14:58 GMT
Last year's Eastbourne International runner-up, Daria Kastkina, went one better on the South Coast by beating Canada's Leylah Fernandez in Saturday's final. In Germany, Diana Shnaider won her first ever WTA 500 title as she beat the experienced Donna Vekic over three sets at Bad Homburg, as all four players prepared for the upcoming Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
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In the final Wimbledon WTA warm-up events, Daria Kasatkina defeated Leylah Fernandez to win the Eastbourne International, while Diana Shnaider beat Donna Vekic in the Bad Homburg final.
Fernandez had beaten defending champion Madison Keys en route to the final while Kasatkina, last year's runner-up, defeated this season's French Open losing finalist, Jasmine Paolini in their semi-final.
Kasatkina had won both of the pair’s previous matches, but Saturday’s final was their first on grass.
No. 6 seed Kasatkina scored an early break and moved into a 4-2 lead after holding her serve, but not before she had been pushed hard as the two tussled for an age for the game’s winning point.
In the second set, Fernandez was broken on her first serve, but broke back to give herself the chance to level things at 3-3, before moving 4-3 clear with another break.
Kasatkina, however, was able to pull off a break of her own to stay in with a chance of wrapping things up in straight sets.
After the brief chance of a comeback, the Canadian was unable to match her opponent, losing 6-3, 6-4.
For Kasatkina, victory represents not just a boost ahead of SW19, but her first final win at four attempts in 2024.
Speaking after her win on court, she said: “Thanks to my team. It’s been a long road to the title. But I’m really proud of us. I’m proud of the work we put in and the outcome.
“Thank you so much for being next to me. It doesn’t matter how bad it is or how good it is… thanks to my coach, Flavio. Thanks to my brother and fitness coach Alex. Thanks to my better half, Natasha.”
In Bad Homburg, Shnaider held off spirited resistance from Vekic to win the first WTA 500 title of her career.
Vekic had beaten Viktoriya Tomova 6-0 7-6 in her semi-final, while Shnaider sunk Emma Navarro.
The third set continued the topsy-turvy nature of the match as Shnaider was the one to pick up the initiative as she swept her opponent aside, winning 6-3 2-6 6-3.
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