By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday July 29, 2023
Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus powered past German teen Noma Noha Akugue for her maiden title.
Photo Source: TTV
Arantxa Rus’s late career surge continues at full throttle.
The 32-year-old Dutchwoman, a former junior No.1, became the oldest first-time title winner on the WTA Tour in 40 years, defeating high-flying German teen Noma Noha Akugue 6-0, 7-6(3) on Saturday to win the title at the Hamburg European Open 16 years after making her WTA debut at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 2007.
60th-ranked Rus took advantage of a nervy start from the World No.207, rambling through the opening set without the loss of a game before claiming the second set in a tiebreak.
She will make a Top-50 debut in next week’s ranking as a result.
"I'm very proud of myself that after so many years, I made my first title,” she said.
Rus, who has won 32 titles at the ITF level, is the eighth first-time winner on the WTA Tour in 2023. She joins Zhu Lin (Hua Hin), Alycia Parks (Lyon), Marta Kostyuk (Austin), Lucia Bronzetti (Rabat), Katie Boulter (Nottingham), Maria Timofeeva (Budapest) and Zheng Qinwen (Palermo).
Despite the loss it was a banner week for Akugue, who had never played a WTA main draw prior to this week. The 19-year-old reeled off four consecutive victories, including her third Top 100 win and best by ranking over No.76 Martina Trevisan in the quarterfinals – she is projected to rise to a career-high ranking of 142 in Monday’s refreshed WTA rankings.