VALENCIA — Egypt’s Mayar Sherif capped off a dominant week at the BBVA Open in Valencia by defeating Marina Bassols Ribera of Spain to win the sixth WTA 125 title of her career.
With the 1-hour and 39-minute victory, World No.40 Sherif improved her astounding undefeated record in WTA 125 finals to 6-0.
It is also her second WTA 125 title in as many weeks — she won the title last week at the WTA 125 Makarska Open as well.
“I came from Makarska with very good momentum and I wanted to take advantage of it,” Sherif said, after her latest title run.
“I felt very comfortable from the beginning of the tournament and I think that was reflected in the fact that I didn’t lose a set in any match.”
Sherif, who took a wild card into the event, earned a critical break point at 4-3 in the opening set with a forehand winner down the line, and she converted that chance after Bassols Ribera sent a groundstroke long. In the following game, Sherif served out the set at love.
After exchanging breaks to start the second set, Sherif hit a passing winner to break Bassols Ribera at love for a 2-1 advantage.
The Egyptian was untroubled on serve from there as she made her way to the title.
Sherif won over half of her points on return and broke Bassols Ribera five times in the final.
It was a fitting end to 27-year-old Sherif’s dominant week — she lost only 17 games in her five matches combined, and she was never pushed beyond 6-3 in any set.
Despite the loss, it was still a breakthrough week in Valencia for Bassols Ribera, ranked No.130. The 23-year-old Spaniard made her first WTA 125 singles final, defeating No.3 seed and former Roland Garros finalist Sara Errani along the way.
Elsewhere, No.1 seeds Aliona Bolsova and Andrea Gamiz took home the Valencia Open doubles title, squeaking past No.2 seeds Angelina Gabueva and Irina Khromacheva 6-4, 4-6, [10-7].
Bolsova of Spain and Gamiz of Venezuela started the decisive match-tiebreak by building a commanding 6-1 lead, then held on from there to defeat Gabueva and Khromacheva in 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Bolsova and Gamiz have become a regularly successful duo at WTA 125 events, with Valencia being their third team title at WTA 125-level in the past nine months. Bolsova has also won two additional WTA 125 doubles titles in her career with other partners.
Sherif, ranked No 40, beat Chilean lucky loser Daniela Seguel (6-0, 6-1), Argentinian Maria Lourdes Carle (6-2, 6-1), American qualifier Ann Li (6-1, 6-2) and Argentinian Nadia Podoroska, the No 8 seed (6-1, 6-3) ahead of her victory.
Earlier in the tournament, Bassols Ribera, ranked No 130, defeated wildcard Charo Esquiva Banuls (6-2, 6-2), lucky loser Guiomar Maristany Zuleta De Reales (6-4, 6-4), Italian Sara Errani, the No 3 seed (7-6 (7), 6-4) and German Tamara Korpatsch (3-6, 6-3, 6-1).
Elsewhere, in the first all-British final on the Hologic WTA Tour in 46 years, British No.1 Katie Boulter defeated Jodie Burrage 6-3, 6-3 to win the Rothesay Open in Nottingham, England.
Boulter, 26, overtook Emma Raducanu in the rankings at the start of the week to become the highest-ranked British woman on tour.
She cemented that status by extending her record against her fellow British players to 5-0. Into the draw as a wild card, she defeated four of her compatriots en route to the title, notching wins over Emily Appleton, Harriet Dart, Heather Watson, and Burrage. She did not drop a set in the tournament.
“I dreamt of this moment at this tournament since I was a little girl,” said Boulter, who grew up in nearby Leicestershire.
“There was training here when I was four or five years old, coming here as a fan and also now as a player, dreaming big and somehow found a way to win it today. It means more than everything to me.”
Coming into the tournament ranked No.126, Boulter will return to the Top 100 on Monday for the first time since 2019.
