By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday June 29, 2024
The 20-year-old captured her biggest career title, taking out Donna Vekic in three sets in Bad Homburg.
Photo Source: TC
Diana Shnaider claimed her second title of 2024 – and her first on grass – on Saturday in Bad Homburg, Germany, taking out Croatia’s Donna Vekic, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 for the title.
The triumph marks a first 500 level title for the 20-year-old, who wins the event on her debut after notching wins over former champion Angelique Kerber, Dayana Yastremska, Paula Badosa, Emma Navarro and Vekic.
47th-ranked Shnaider improves to 7-2 lifetime on grass with the win. She was barely inside the Top 100 this time last year, at No.98 in the rankings.
"It was an amazing week for me ... I managed to play one of the best weeks of my life, so I hope I will just keep going like this," Shnaider said after her triumph.
Shnaider fired nine aces and saved 10 of 13 break points against Vekic. She survived an early trade of breaks in the final set and won the final four games to finish her victory in two hours and 13 minutes.
Shnaider won 9 of 13 second serve return points in the final set and broke Vekic twice.
She will face Karolina Pliskova in her opening-round match at Wimbledon; Vekic, who was bidding for her fifth career title, will face Wang Xiyu in round one at the Championships.