Timea Babos Serves Up Taipei Title

Timea Babos Serves Up Taipei Title

  • Posted: Nov 24, 2015

TAIPEI, Chinese Taipei – Timea Babos served up 15 aces – and zero double faults – to beat Misaki Doi and capture the second-biggest title of her career at the OEC Taipei WTA Challenger on Sunday.

Doi was a strong favorite – not only was she the No.1 seed at the WTA 125K Series event, but she just won her first full WTA title in Luxembourg a few weeks ago. She also didn’t lose a set all week.

But the No.4-seeded Babos didn’t drop a set all week, either, and with one break per set – in the last game of the first set and another one mid-way through the second – she got the win, 7-5, 6-3.

In addition to all of those aces, she also fended off all five break points she faced in the match.

“She had some opportunities on my serve, which was pretty unusual for me, because all tournament I didn’t lose my serve – that means I won 52 games in a row serving, which was unbelievable for me!” Babos said. “But in the final it was key that I was able to serve well and stay aggressive. It’s never easy to play a lefty, so I’m happy I could play better in the key moments and pull off the match today.

“It was definitely the closest match of the week for me. I think she played really well.”

Babos’ biggest career title came at the full WTA event in Monterrey back in 2012, and she’s got major credentials in doubles too, winning 10 WTA doubles titles and going as high as No.8 in the world.

“This year was a very positive year,” Babos said. “My huge breakthrough year in singles was in 2012, when I won my first WTA title, and then the next year and a half was very difficult. But in the last year or two I’ve really been improving – you can see it in the doubles especially – but I’ve been working really hard to get back to a better level again, and this week is definitely a big one for me, winning here.

“I’m improving with each practice. Hopefully next year I can win even bigger matches and trophies.”

The doubles title went to unseeded Japanese duo Kanae Hisami and Kotomi Takahata, who rolled past No.3-seeded Russian-Belgian duo Marina Melnikova and Elisa Mertens in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

Taipei was the fifth of six stops on the WTA 125K Series in 2015, with Jelena Jankovic winning in Nanchang, China, Zheng Saisai winning in Dalian, China, Yaroslava Shvedova winning in Hua Hin, Thailand, Caroline Garcia winning in Limoges, France, and now Babos in Taipei, Chinese Taipei.

The last WTA 125K Series event of 2015, the Carlsbad Classic in Carlsbad, California, is this week.

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