Zakharova wins first title of season at W100 Zaragoza
Anastasia Zakharova claimed her first title of the season at W100 Zaragoza on Sunday, defeating Spain's Kaitlin Quevedo 6-3 6-1 in the final.
The 23 year-old has had a frustrating year so far, struggling to pick up any momentum on the WTA Tour. A confident tournament run was exactly what she needed - and she achieved that in fine fashion on the ITF World Tennis Tour with a dominant display in Spain.
Zakharova made easy work of her opposition all week, losing no more than three games in a set aside from the one she conceded against Barbora Palicova in the semi-finals. Dishing out three bagels and three breadsticks in total - it was a ruthless run.
What makes this win even more impressive is the fact that Zakharova hadn't won a title on clay since 2019 - at W15 Shymkent, with 13 of her 16 ITF Word Tennis Tour titles coming on hard courts. The 23 year-old showed all her quality by dominating on a surface she's had far less success on.
Her win sees Zakharova shoot up 20 spots in the WTA Rankings to No. 107 - one behind her a career-high which she achieved in November. Her latest title could well be a catalyst for the rest of her season, and she will have plenty of confidence to take forward.
Now on the outskirts of the Top 100, a title under her belt this season and some great form on clay - it will be fascinating to see what she can do at Roland Garros Qualifying should she miss out on the main draw.
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Elsewhere, Solana Sierra continued her fantastic recent form by triumphing at W75 Bellinzona - her second consecutive title after winning Antalya 3 125 the week before. It was the Argentine's 15th career title (14th on the ITF World Tennis Tour) and third of the season, pushing her up to a career-high of No. 109 in the WTA rankings.
The 20 year-old faced little resistance on her way to the title in Bellinzona, dropping just one set throughout the tournament. With two titles on the bounce and a 10-match winning streak - she looks dangerous for anyone right now.
Sierra will most likely have to go through Qualifying if she is to compete at Roland Garros but, on current form, this will not be much of a concern. The Argentine finished runner-up at the 2022 Roland Garros Junior Championships, and given how strong she is proving to be on clay, she will be confident that she can make a statement this year.
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