By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, October 27, 2024
Olga Danilovic defeated qualifier Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 6-1 to capture the Guangzhou Open crown, her first Tour-level title in six years.
Photo credit: Eric Alonso/Getty for ITF
All good things come to those who wait.
Olga Danilovic was tired of playing the waiting game.
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So she stepped up and hit her way to her first title since 2018.
World No.86 Danilovic drove through eight of the last nine games defeating American qualifier Caroline Dolehide 6-3, 6-1 to capture the Guangzhou Open crown.
It is Danilovic's second career title, first hard court title and first Tour-level title since she won the 2018 Moscow River Cup.
"I'm so happy," Danilovic said. "The way I played the whole week, the whole tournament.
"I'm so proud of myself and my team. I showed what I can do and prove it to myself, I think, the most. So I'm so happy and very excited to be finishing the season this way."
The 23-year-old Serbian saved two of three break points in a 75-minute victory.
Danilovic defeated Dolehide for the third time in as many meetings.
World No. 101 Dolehide was coming off a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9) win over Lucia Bronzetti in a dramatic two hour, 39-minute semifinal yesterday. Dolehide, who saved match points in the semifinals, lacked the legs to really trouble the left-handed Danilovic in the second set today.
Danilovic dropped just one set during her impressive Guangzhou title run. Danilovic defeated Erika Andreeva, Diane Parry, Mananchaya Sawangkaew, top-seed Katerina Siniakova and Dolehide to take the title.