Yanina Wickmayer is the 2015 Japan Women’s Open Tennis champion. Wickmayer came from a set and a break down to defeat Magda Linette 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and ten minutes. This is the Belgian number number two’s first WTA title since 2010.
Linette Wins the Opening Set After A Run of Breaks
The match began with a hold of serve from both women, which seemed to have settled any nerves they might have had coming into this final. But, it was Linette who looked more comfortable early on, getting the early break to go up 2-1. Wickmayer replied with a break of her own, and the first set was back on serve. At three-all, after two routine holds of serve in a row, the Pole was beginning to force the issue upon the Belgian again. Wickmayer was noticeably very tight, and hit more unforced errors in the first set than she did all week.
“I was making too many unforced errors and going for too much.” Wickmayer said, after the match. “I think I was trying to play too nicely, too pretty. And I also really wanted to win today, so maybe I was a little bit nervous there in the beginning.”
The world number 86 was letting her nerves get the better of her in the important moments of the opening set. Linette converted her third break point of the game at 3-3 to go up a 4-3 lead. But like Wickmayer, the Pole got tight in the important moments and she surrendered the break -- just like she did earlier in the set -- to give her Belgian counterpart the break straight back. Now tied at 4-4, this game was extremely important for both players. Both women had their chances, but it was Linette who was able to play cleaner and better tennis than her opponent, who broke once again. But could she consolidate the break?
It turns out, that one break of serve seemed to have relaxed the WTA rising star. She had no problems serving out the opening set, and won it 6-4.
Wickmayer Fights Back From A Break Down, Wins Second Set
Linette carried the momentum -- that she sustained in the latter stages of the first set -- into the second. Straight away, the Polish number two was able to get a break point in the opening game, and converted it to get even closer to her maiden WTA title. Unlike in the early stages of the opening set, Linette was able to consolidate the early break and she was now up a set and 2-0.
Now in danger of suffering her second defeat in a WTA final, Wickmayer was desperately trying to find something that would work and get her back into this match. The first thing that came to mind was her serve -- with her six foot frame, the former world number 12 can generate some serious power off of her first serve, and she used that to great effect to get on the board. That hold of serve seemed to be the confidence boost that Wickmayer needed to believe she could come back and win this, as she broke a game later to level the second set at two-games-all. The world number 86 was beginning to play well above her ranking, and showed why she is a former US Open semifinalist.
Wickmayer consolidated the break to go up 3-2, and minutes later she converted her fourth break point of the game to go from a break down to a break up. Now leading 4-2, everything seemed to be coming together for the Belgian now. With another hold of serve, she was just one game away from leveling the match at a set apiece. Linette managed to stop the rot of five games going against her, but it wasn’t enough to stop Wickmayer as the Belgian won the second set 6-3.
“From the second set, I was trying to rally and make her play, make her win the points.” said the world number 86.
Wickmayer Wins Fourth WTA Singles Title
Now with most of the momentum on her side heading into a decider, Wickmayer was playing within herself and was dictating most of the points -- which is exactly where she wants to be. Linette’s level had dropped considerably and the Pole was just unable to do much to trouble the Belgian consistently. In the opening game of the third set, Wickmayer broke to go up an early break. In a matter of minutes, the former world number 12 consolidated the break to go up a 2-0 lead.
To Linette’s credit, she managed to hold her serve in the next game to reduce the deficit. Despite the Pole’s best efforts, Wickmayer’s powerful serve and ground strokes gave the Belgian the advantage in the important moments. At this stage in the match, it was clear that Yanina was the better player in this match, despite playing a sluggish opening set. Within a span of five minutes, Wickmayer went from 2-1 and a break up, to 5-1 and a double break up. The world number 86 looked to be on her way to a fourth WTA singles title. Now serving to stay in the match, Linette found herself down 0-30 but she refused to give up. With some clever play and a few unforced errors from her Belgian counterpart, the Polish number two would go on to hold. Wickmayer would have to serve for the championship, up 5-2 in the final set.
After digging out of that 0-30 hold, Linette began to play better and a late comeback looked to be on the cards. Wickmayer was dealing with the inevitable pressure and nerves to close this match out as soon as possible, and it showed when unforced errors began to creep back into the 25-year-old’s game. On her third break point opportunity of the game, Linette converted as another unforced error flew off of the racquet of Wickmayer. Now just trailing 3-5 and by a break, could the WTA rising star from Poland come back to win this match?
It turned out, the answer was no. Wickmayer was undeterred by the fact she was broken for the first time in the entire set, and she regrouped quickly to break to love. With a shriek of delight after converting her first match point, the Belgian number two had defeated Magda Linette 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and claimed her fourth WTA singles title.
“It feels great,” Wickmayer said during her post-match press conference. “It's amazing to win my fourth WTA title.
“It's been a while since my third one, so it feels very good to lift a trophy up again after a few years. I'm very happy and very excited about it.”
With this win, Yanina Wickmayer will move up thirty spots in the WTA rankings and will be the new world number 56 next week. She has also surpassed her compatriot Alison Van Uytvanck in the rankings, meaning she is the new Belgian number one.