Top-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia secured her third title of the year on a third different surface, defeating Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday in Budapest.
Shnaider, 20, required 95 minutes to overcome Sasnovich of Belarus on the clay court. Earlier in the year, Shnaider claimed her first tour title on the hard courts of Hua Hin, Thailand, in February, and followed it with a victory on the grass of Bad Homburg, Germany, in June.
With this latest triumph, Shnaider became the first woman to win titles on every surface in the same year since Caroline Garcia in 2022, and the youngest to do so since Caroline Wozniacki, then 19, in 2009. Shnaider has ascended the world rankings from No. 110 to a career-high No. 28 within 12 months and is projected to climb even higher after Sunday’s victory.
Palermo Ladies Open
In Italy, top-seeded Qinwen Zheng of China successfully defended her title at the Palermo Ladies Open, outlasting No. 2 seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a grueling two-hour and 49-minute match.
Despite Muchova saving 12 of 19 break points, she struggled against Zheng’s six aces. Zheng jumped to a 3-0 lead in the third set, allowed Muchova to win two games, but then pulled away to take the final three games. This victory marked Zheng’s first WTA title of the year and the third of her career.
Prague Open
Germany’s Ella Seidel caused an upset by defeating seventh-seeded Nadia Podoroska of Argentina 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in the first round in the Czech Republic.
Seidel saved 5 of 10 break points while converting 7 of 18 opportunities. Although Podoroska hit more aces (4-2), she also had more double faults (8-2).
In other matches, third-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine outlasted the host country’s Sara Bejlek 7-5, 6-7 (7), 6-2 in a marathon match lasting over three hours. Fifth-seeded Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria defeated Renata Jamrichova of the Slovak Republic 7-6 (3), 6-3. Spain’s Rebeka Masarova and France’s Elsa Jacquemot also advanced.
UniCredit Iasi Open
Top seed Mirra Andreeva of Russia opened the first round in Romania with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Noma Noha Akugue.
Andreeva, 17, dominated the match, winning 23 of her 29 first-service points (79.3 percent), and completed the win in just 66 minutes.
Romania’s Miriam Bulgaru delighted the home crowd by upsetting No. 2 seed Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-2. Additionally, Serbia’s Olga Danilovic outlasted No. 4 seed Anna Blinkova of Russia 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. Spaniard Marina Bassols Ribera and Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse also moved on to the second round.
