Titles for Yastremska, Bertens

Finals in the Toyota Thailand Open and the St Petersburg Ladies Trophy tournaments in Hua Hin and St Petersburg respectively.

Hua Hin

Final

Dayana Yastremska (8) v Ajla Tomljanovic (6)

After breaking serve for 2-0 in the opening set, Yastremska repeated the job in the fourth game, a backhand return winner completing a love game and putting Tomljanovic on the ropes.

At 0-5, the Australian pulled back, holding serve for the first time, then taking advantage of two Ukrainian double faults to take it to 2-5.

However,  Yastremska contributed another solid returning game to break and take the set 6-2, a dozen winners incorporated.

The second set saw double faults become an issue for Yastremska and the unforced error count drop for Tomljanovic (14 in set one to 5 in this one) and it was reflected on the scoreboard, the last five games a cruise for the sixth seed as she tied things at 2-6 6-2.

Yastremska appeared to have regathered her form at the beginning of the decider with a 2-0 lead, but Tomljanovic mounted another run, based on outstanding defence, forcing errors and double faults from the Ukrainian racquet, and resulting in a 5-2 lead, serving for the title.

Yet another twist, with four straight games going the way of Yastremska, including the failure twice to serve out the match by Tomljanovic.  A Yastremska forehand return winner broke for 3-5, and a Tomljanovic double fault sealed a break for 5-5.

The Australian did stop the bleeding by holding serve and forcing a tie break.

Leading 3-2, with a serve to come, Tomljanovic again fell apart, losing the remaining five points and the match.

Yastremska won her second WTA title 6-2 2-6 7-6(3)

Tomljanovic remains winless from four WTA finals.

St Petersburg 

Final

Donna Vekic (8) v Kiki Bertens (2)

Vekic began brilliantly, breaking the Bertens serve twice and leading 5-2 in the opening stanza.  So close to taking the set, Vekic was overwhelmed by a Bertens blitz, where the Dutch number one took seventeen of the next eighteen points and led 6-5.

Vekic forced the tie break, but Bertens raced through that to lead the final 7-6(2).

An early break in set two had Bertens on a clear road to victory.  Vekic wasn’t one to crumble though, and she won three straight games to regain parity.  However, Bertens had one spare break up her sleeve, and produced it in time to win the eighth title of her career 7-6(2) 6-4.