After a grueling battle lasting more than three hours, Diane Parry won her opening match at the WTA 250 tournament in Hamburg, defeating Tara Wuerth in three hard-fought sets (6–7, 6–3, 7–5). It was a physical — and above all mental — duel, marked by numerous twists and turns.
Following her elimination on the grass courts of Wimbledon, Parry switched surfaces and returned to clay in Hamburg. In the first round, she faced Tara Wuerth, ranked No. 205 in the world. On paper, the matchup appeared favourable for the Frenchwoman, especially as the Croatian had suffered several early exits in recent tournaments. Their previous meeting dated back to Seville 2021, where Parry had won in straight sets (6–4, 6–4).
Early Advantage for Wuerth in the First Set
The opening exchanges went Parry’s way. The Nice-born player relied on her forehand to immediately disrupt Wuerth’s rhythm, breaking serve right away. Whenever Parry landed her first serve, the Croatian struggled on the return.
However, Wuerth quickly responded, settling into longer rallies and finding consistency. After half an hour of play, the score was level at three games apiece — and momentum had shifted. More comfortable from the baseline and forcing Parry to run, Wuerth began to take control.
The eighth game proved crucial for Parry, who needed to avoid being broken. Despite solid first serves, she struggled against the power coming back from her opponent. Wuerth earned a break point to go up 5–3 and converted it after a rally of more than ten shots. Parry was suddenly trailing by two games.
A Tense End to the First Set
Down a break, Parry reacted immediately, breaking back on Wuerth’s serve. Strong from the baseline and dictating play with her forehand, she forced the Croatian into errors.
On serve, Parry continued to push Wuerth wide, but the Croatian held firm and came close to sealing the set. The power and variety of her shots caused Parry real problems. Wuerth earned two set points on Parry’s serve, both of which were saved. Walking a tightrope, Parry managed to claw her way back to 5–5.
The relief was short-lived. Moments later, Wuerth surged ahead again at 6–5. In the following game, Parry once more struggled in extended rallies, conceding two more set points — again saved. The set remained on a knife-edge, and Parry eventually forced a tie-break.
In the breaker, both players traded blows relentlessly. After one hour and twenty minutes of intense play, Wuerth finally cracked. Parry clinched the first set in dramatic fashion, 7–6, winning the tie-break 11–9.
One-Way Traffic in the Second Set
At the start of the second set, Wuerth regrouped and broke Parry’s serve immediately. Despite losing the opening set, the Croatian maintained a high level of intensity and confirmed the break to go up 2–0.
Parry continued to fight, avoiding further breaks and even pushing Wuerth at times, but without success. The Croatian stayed in control and moved steadily toward the set.
Wuerth closed out the second set with a love game, taking it 6–3. It was a well-managed set in which Parry failed to find a way back. Outplayed in long rallies and struggling on serve — including two double faults — she lost her footing.
A Decisive and Exhausting Third Set
The final set began with heavy legs and heavy balls. After more than two and a half hours on court, both players were visibly exhausted. Long baseline battles and extended rallies had taken their toll, and even on the changeovers, catching their breath proved difficult.
In this demanding context, Parry struck first. She broke serve to lead 2–1, then held to extend her advantage to 3–1. Digging deep, the Frenchwoman found extra reserves of energy and put pressure on Wuerth.
But the momentum shifted once again. Against expectations, Wuerth broke back with a love game to level at 3–3, then held serve to move ahead. Within minutes, Parry found herself trailing. Her game unraveled further as a backhand found the net, allowing Wuerth to go up 5–3.
Still, Parry refused to give in. Her perseverance paid off as she fought back to 5–5, sending the match into a dramatic finale.
Once again, Wuerth faltered. Parry broke serve to take a 6–5 lead, earning the chance to serve for the match. This time, she held her nerve. Without hesitation, Diane Parry closed out the contest after three hours and twenty minutes, winning 7–6, 3–6, 7–5.
“What intensity and what a battle between the two players,” summed up the evening.
“It’s never easy to come back to clay after grass. My opponent played very well. I hope I’ll recover well for tomorrow morning and go far in this tournament,” Parry said after the match.
With this victory, she will face either Dayana Yastremska or Jule Niemeier in the next round.
