German teenager Noma Noha Akugue reached the final on her first time in the main draw of a WTA Tour tournament on Friday, continuing a meteoric rise for a player ranked 207th in the world. Germany's Noma Noha Akugue celebrates after defeating Russia's Diana Shnaider in the women's singles semifinal at the WTA tennis tournament at Rothenbaum Tennis Stadium, Hamburg, Germany(AP)Noha Akugue won 6-3, 6-3 against another 19-year-old, Russian Diana Shnaider, in a fairy-tale run at her hometown Hamburg European Open. Noha Akugue's opponent in the final will be Arantxa Rus, an experienced 32-year-old from the Netherlands who has four WTA doubles titles but will play her first singles final. The WTA said Saturday's final between Noha Akugue and Rus would be the first between two left-handers on the women's tour since 2018, when Petra Kvitova beat Mihaela Buzarnescu for the Prague title. In the men's Hamburg tournament, top-seeded Casper Ruud was upset 6-0, 6-4 by Arthur Fils for a spot in the semifinals.

Source: Hindustan Times July 29, 2023 23:39 UTC