VICTORY AT 2021 VOLVO CAR OPEN

Officials held a ground-breaking ceremony Sunday morning to mark the $40 million renovation of the Volvo Car Open stadium, which resembled a giant erector set that was gutted and yet still had its green clay intact since the project started a few months ago.

 

The transformation of the stadium, to be completed in time for next year’s event, will offer a glimpse of the direction of the largest women’s only tournament in North America. The clay-court tournament – and venue – promises to be state of the art and serving up star power.

 

Later in the day, Veronika Kudermetova had a ground-breaking performance in the championship match, which was contested on the Althea Gibson Court. The 23-year-old Russian posted a convincing 6-4, 6-2 victory over Danka Kovinic to earn a paycheck just north of $68,000.

 

Kudermetova, who entered the tournament as the No. 15 seed and ranked No. 38 in the world, was the first player since Serena Williams in 2012 to power through without dropping a set. She was in cruise control the entire week in Charleston. 

 

But she certainly wasn’t over-confident the night before the championship.

 

“To be honest, (last) night I did sleep not really good because I was thinking about the match and that I can take my first title,” Kudermetova said during a post-match press conference. “When I stepped on the court, I was a little bit nervous, to be honest. But I tried to work, and don’t think about (how) this was the final or something special.”

 

Kudermetova was overpowering all week with a strong service game. She needed only 96 minutes Sunday to dispose of her foe despite a serve that was erratic at times.

 

Runner-up Kovinic also was off the radar before her big week at the VCO. She entered the tourney at world No. 91 and was the lowest ranked player to reach the final since 1990 when an up-and-coming and unranked Jennifer Capriati reached the final of the tournament, which was known back then as the Family Circle Cup and was contested on Hilton Head Island.

 

Kudermetova will move up into the top 30 with the victory in Charleston, and hopes to be in the top 10 in the world by the end of the year. Her clay-court debut in 2021 could go a long way in the march to Roland Garros and the French Open in late May. This time, she will pack confidence in her arsenal

 

"All the matches were really tough,” Kudermetova said. “It’s really tough matches for nerves, and the tennis part. I’m really proud of myself that I can take the first title. And, I’m really happy.

 

“It means a lot," Kudermetova said. "It shows me that I can play really well, that I can beat good players. And, if I play like this and keep working, I think I can be in the top 10 or higher."

 

Nicole Melichar and Demi Schuurs won the Volvo Car Open doubles championship with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Marie Bouzková and Lucie Hradecka.