After her first-round elimination at the WTA250 in Rouen, Valbonne native Fiona Ferro headed to Portugal this week to participate in the Oeiras Challenger tournament. The choice paid off, as the French player regained confidence by stringing together five precious victories, including a win against a Grand Slam champion in the first round. She won the final this Sunday against Polina Kudermetova.
In the first round, Fiona Ferro escapes the Andreescu trap, a former Grand Slam champion
Fiona Ferro, from Valbonne in the Alpes-Maritimes, had a tough challenge right from the first round on Tuesday, April 21, at the Oeiras 4 Challenger in Portugal. Her opponent was none other than the 2019 US Open winner, Bianca Andreescu, who had since dropped to 127th in the world rankings. The French player emerged victorious after a tumultuous match.Â
In the first set, Fiona Ferro faced an Andreescu who was riddled with errors and complicated service games. The Frenchwoman soared and clinched the first set 6/0. But the tide turned in the second set as the Canadian became more consistent and aggressive, gaining the upper hand to win the set 6/2. The match’s conclusion was intense, but it was Fiona Ferro who broke at the crucial moment while her opponent was serving at 5/4. Final score: (6/0-2/6-6/4).
With three strong victories, Fiona Ferro reaches the final
This Thursday, April 23, in the second round, the French player, ranked 246th in the WTA rankings, faced Czech Lucie Havlickova, ranked 220th. The match seemed manageable on paper but posed challenges for Fiona Ferro, who eventually won in three sets.
In the first set, despite conceding a break in the third game, the Frenchwoman responded brilliantly by winning five consecutive games to take the set 6/2. However, the scenario completely reversed in the second set. Just when she seemed on track, she collapsed, scoring only eight points in total. She lost that set sharply, 6/0 in just 27 minutes. The third set was probably the most contested. Fiona Ferro finally managed to break in the middle of the set and didn’t falter when serving for the match at 5/3. The French player triumphed, albeit with difficulty, (6/2-0/6-6/3).
In the quarterfinals of the Oeiras Challenger, Fiona Ferro secured a third consecutive victory, this Friday, April 24, against the world’s 229th ranked player Elena Pridankina.
In a tightly contested first set, Fiona Ferro won in the tiebreak, aided in part by her opponent’s 12 double faults. The French player then took control and quickly pulled ahead in the second set. Notably, with 61% of points won on return of serve, Fiona Ferro logically won in two sets, (7/6-6/1).
The French player continued her run in the semifinals of the Oeiras Challenger in Portugal. Facing Polish player Linda Klimovicova, Fiona Ferro won in two sets, (6/3 6/4). Strong on serve and helped by her opponent’s five double faults, the French player converted five of her six break points and maintained the lead for almost the entire match.
Fiona Ferro wins the Oeiras Challenger after a contrasting but controlled final
After her four strong victories, Fiona Ferro faced Uzbek Polina Kudermetova, ranked 137th in the WTA.
In the first set, the Valbonne native quickly gained the advantage. After two breaks, Fiona Ferro led 4 games to 0. In the end, with three breaks secured, and two for her opponent, the French player won the first set 6/3.
But similar to her previous matches this week, the dynamics completely shifted in the second set. With only 13% of points won on her first serve and a total of ten points won in the entire set, Fiona Ferro conceded the set 6/0 in just 24 minutes.
Drawing on her experience on the circuit -29 years old, compared to Polina Kudermetova’s 22- Fiona Ferro started the third set with a bang, converting her sixth break point in her opponent’s first game. The French player quickly took the lead and approached the title, breaking the Uzbek player four more times. The Valbonne native won in less than two hours, (6/3-0/6-6/1).
Thanks to this victory, the French player will climb more than 50 positions to be ranked 192nd in the world this Monday. She will be present at the Saint-Malo Challenger tournament, starting tomorrow.
