Pigossi claims 25k Women’s ITF Tourney singles in Pune

At the Deccan Gymkhana, what seemed like a never-ending battle between the best, the finals of the week-long tournament, was a game to behold.

For Brazilian player Laura Pigossi, clinching the $25,000 Women’s ITF Championships singles title on Sunday is a gratifying win. The biggest difference that she sees in herself now is that when she is on the court, she really wants to win and will fight for it.

At the Deccan Gymkhana, what seemed like a never-ending battle between the best, the finals of the week-long tournament, was a game to behold. The Brazil-born Spaniard had a 6-0,3-6,7-6(5) win against Marianna Zakarlyuk of Ukraine.

Pigossi, very much like her previous matches throughout the tournament, came strong with a 6-0 against Zakarlyuk in the first set. While the end of set one had Pigossi as a sure shot champion, in a turn of events, Zakarlyuk pocketed two aces in the first game of the second set. Thereafter, after regaining her stride, Zakarlyuk came down on Pigossi hard with her serves and rallied to a 6-3 win in the second set.

“I still feel that I have to work on a lot of things as I was 6-0 in the first set so I have to learn to start better in the second set as I could have beat her in two sets. She started to really go for the serves. She is tall and it was hard for me to really read where she will serve,” said Pigossi.

By set three, Zakarlyuk kept up her game with a lead of 5-1. Pigossi, with a shift in momentum, battled the 1-5 down and levelled it to 5-5. Both the players reached a 7-point tie-breaker, where Pigossi triumphed with a 7-6(5).

377 WTA ranked Pigossi said that although she played three tournaments this year, including the 15k ITF in Villena and the semi-finals of the 15k in Monastir, this victory for her is special as it is her first 25k win. “I really wanted it and I guess that did make me a little nervous as she started playing really good. When she did a 5-2 in set three, I understood how much pressure one can get for closing up. I tried to stay solid and focused and make her feel the pressure and I really tried to show her that I am still in the match by screaming ‘Come on I am here’. I think this was the difference,” she said.

She added that she had been working really hard since the second half of last year. “It has been tough with a lot of tears and sweat but it is all worth it. I just feel that when I am on the court I really want to win and I want to fight for it. So I think this is the big difference between me last year and this year,” she said.

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