ISLAMABAD: France’s Astrid Cirotte won the women’s singles title at the W15 Islamabad World Tennis Women’s Futures Championships on Sunday, beating Thailand’s Kamonwan Yodpetch 7-5, 7-5 in the final at the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Tennis Complex.
The win completed a successful week for the top seed. Cirotte had already lifted the women’s doubles trophy on Saturday, so she leaves the first leg of the championships with both titles.
Two tight sets settle the final
Both sets followed a similar pattern. Yodpetch stayed in contention throughout, but Cirotte held her nerve at the closing stages of each set to seal the match in straight sets.
The French player, ranked world No. 624, was competing in Pakistan for the first time. She said she had enjoyed playing in Islamabad and praised the courts and the arrangements at the venue.
“Tennis is my passion,” she said after the final, adding that the sport makes players stronger both physically and mentally. She said hard work, dedication and good coaching were the keys to progress, and she hoped Pakistani women would take pride in pursuing the game.
Road to the title
Cirotte reached the final after a 6-4, 7-5 semi-final win over Uzbekistan’s Sevil Yuldasheva. Yodpetch booked her place in the title match with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over South Africa’s Wozuko Mdlulwa.
In Saturday’s doubles final, Cirotte partnered Mexico’s Sabastiani Leon. The pair recovered from losing the first set to beat South Korea’s Jeong Moon and Yodpetch 5-7, 6-2, 10-5 in the deciding match tie-break.
The singles and doubles double underlines Cirotte’s status as the highest-ranked player in the draw. It also gives her a useful haul of ranking points from the $15,000 event.
First leg draws a wide field
The first leg of the championships featured 30 players from 17 countries. The field included players from France, China, Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Uzbekistan, South Africa, the Netherlands, South Korea, Nepal, Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Thailand, Turkiye, the Czech Republic and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s representatives in the event were Ushna Suhail, Mahin Aftab Qureshi, Meheq Khokhar, Romaisa Malik and Hajra Sohail. The home players gained rare experience against international opposition on home courts, even though none reached the closing rounds of the singles draw.
The tournament, sponsored by Fatima Group, was supervised by an ITF bronze badge referee from Turkiye. Officials from the PTF and the Islamabad Tennis Association attended Sunday’s closing ceremony, along with players, parents and spectators.
Second leg starts on October 13
The PTF has announced that the main draw of the second leg will start on October 13 at the same venue. The back-to-back events give visiting players a second chance to earn ranking points, and they give Pakistani players another week of international competition at home.
Attention in world tennis this week has also centred on Asia, where Hubert Hurkacz stunned Novak Djokovic in the Shanghai Masters second round and Zheng Qinwen reached the China Open semi-finals. In Beijing, Nikola Bartunkova’s run ended Aryna Sabalenka’s China Open campaign.
Closer to home, Pakistan’s sporting weekend continues in Rawalpindi, where Sri Lanka won the toss and bowled first in the second T20I against Pakistan. Earlier, Bangladesh handed Pakistan a fourth defeat in the women’s under-19 T20 tri-series in Faisalabad.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Islamabad W15 women’s singles title?
Astrid Cirotte of France won the title. She beat Kamonwan Yodpetch of Thailand 7-5, 7-5 in Sunday’s final at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad.
Did Astrid Cirotte win any other title in Islamabad?
Yes. Cirotte also won the women’s doubles title on Saturday with Mexico’s Sabastiani Leon, beating Jeong Moon and Kamonwan Yodpetch 5-7, 6-2, 10-5.
How many players took part in the first leg?
Thirty players from 17 countries competed in the first leg of the W15 Islamabad championships, including five Pakistani players.
When does the second leg of the Islamabad W15 start?
The main draw of the second leg is scheduled to start on October 13 at the PTF Tennis Complex in Islamabad.
