SAN DIEGO — Fourth-seeded Czech Barbora Krejcikova earned a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory over the United States’ Sofia Kenin to win the San Diego Open.
Krejcikova racked up 11 aces against five double faults to get past Kenin in 2 hours, 38 minutes. She earned her seventh career singles title on the WTA Tour.
Kenin, who saved eight of 12 break points, gave the home crowd something to cheer about when she took a 4-3 lead in the opening set. But Krejcikova came back strong, winning three games in a row to grab the early lead.
“It was a big battle,” Krejcikova said. “I knew it was going to be difficult, that [Kenin] was going to go for every single ball and that she was going to fight until the end.”
Although she was able to force a third set, Lenin was never able to move out in front, falling on the second match point to hand the former World No. 2 her second title of the year.
Krejcikova entered San Diego on a four-match losing streak, which included an injury retirement in the second round of Wimbledon and a first-round loss to Lucia Bronzetti at the US Open. However, the former World No.2 surged back to top form this week.
“I came here with not really good statistics after my injury, I didn’t actually win any matches,” Krejcikova said.
“So I just came here and I pretty much was hoping and believing that I could get the first win and go from there. It’s pretty special to be sitting here having won [the title].”
San Diego marks Krejcikova’s second title of the year. In February, Krejcikova won the WTA 1000 title in Dubai, beating the three top-ranked players in the world at the time (Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula) in her last three matches that week.
In the opening set, Krejcikova came back from a break down twice, eventually claiming the one-set lead by carving a deft forehand into the forecourt to force a Kenin error.
However, Kenin broke serve in the opening game of the second set, then saved four break points during a hold for 4-2 to maintain her lead.
Kenin slammed an ace to wrap up the second set, in which the American had the same amount of winners and six fewer unforced errors than Krejcikova.
In the decisive third set, both players locked down their service games, with no break points for either through 4-4.
Krejcikova was the first to face break points in the decider, and the Czech erased four in a hold for 5-4, preventing Kenin from serving for the title.
In the following game, Krejcikova obtained her first break points of the set, which doubled as championship points.
Krejcikova netted a return on her first championship point, but Kenin sent a backhand wide on the second, and Krejcikova returned to the winner’s circle.
Elsewhere, Ashlyn Krueger dispatched the host country’s Mai Hontama in straight sets in Osaka, Japan, to advance to her first WTA final.
Krueger, a 19-year-old Dallas resident ranked No. 123 in the world, defeated Hontama 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 38 minutes in their first meeting on the tour.
Krueger, who has yet to drop a set in the tournament, had the advantage in aces, 5-0. She pushed Hontama to 13 break points and converted five of them.
In an all-Chinese semi-final, top seed Lin Zhu won a battle with third seed Xinyu Wang 7-5, 7-6 (6) in 124 minutes. Zhu converted four of six break points, while Wang managed three of nine.
Zhu is going for her second career WTA Tour title. Krueger is in her 11th main-draw appearance on the tour.
