Swiss top seed Jenny Duerst and Bulgarian third seed Alexander Donski emerged victorious in the women’s and men’s singles finals, respectively, at the first week of the WIPHOLD International. The finals of the tournament, one of two back-to-back ITF $15,000 combined World Tennis Tour events concluded at the TuksTennis Club, University of Pretoria, and concluded on Monday.
In a week marred by unpredictable weather and rain delays, Duerst, ranked 400 on the ITF Tour, clinched her long-awaited first professional title at the age of 25. Despite a weather-induced postponement during her semifinal match against France’s Astrid Cirotte on Sunday, where she led 6-1, 3-1, Duerst delivered a stellar performance on Monday. She secured a decisive 6-1, 6-2 victory to advance to the final against Dutch second seed Stephanie Visscher.
After a brief rest, Duerst returned to the court to face Visscher in the women’s singles final. Displaying remarkable composure, Duerst dominated the match, claiming the title with a 6-1, 6-3 win.
“I’m feeling so happy,” Duerst said after her triumph. “This is my first title, and I have been working so hard for this moment. The conditions were tough, especially with the high altitude, but I am really pleased with how I played. Now I am excited to move on to the second week.”
In the men’s singles event, Bulgaria’s Alexander Donski claimed his first title since 2022, defeating Turkey’s Cem Ilkel in a hard-fought final. Donski, who previously won a title in Pretoria in 2019, showcased his resilience to overcome the second seed in straight sets, 7-6(5), 6-4.
“It feels amazing to win the title in the first week,” Donski said. “I’m really excited to keep going in this tournament.”
The second week of the WIPHOLD International Tournament, also a combined $15,000 World Tennis Tour event, is set to begin on Tuesday, with the finals scheduled for Sunday, 2 March 2025.