This Sunday we got two first-time WTA titlists as Kazakh Zarina Diyas and Belgian Alison van Uytvanck lifted champion’s trophies at the Japan Women’s Open Tennis and at the Coupe Banque Nationale, respectively.
In a battle of two qualifiers, the world No.100 Diyas beat home favorite Miyu Kato 6-2 7-5, wrapping up a successful run in Tokyo, that also included victories over second seed Zhang Shuai, eighth-seeded compatriot Yulia Putintseva and defending champion Christina McHale. The 2017 edition of Tokyo’s International-level tournament will also stay remembered as the last event in the career of Japanese 46-year-old Kimiko Date, who played as a wildcard and lost to Aleksandra Krunic in the first round 6-0 6-0.