TWO WTA Tour events came to a close today, with the WTA 500 Silicon Valley Classic and WTA 250 Winners Open decided.

iN San Jose, USA, The Silicon Valley Classic finished off with a hometown winner as Danielle Collins claimed her second title in as many weeks, with the seventh seed breaking through to win 6-3 6-7(10) 6-1 against fourth seed Russian Daria Kasatkina. Despite coming in with a less than impressive record against the Russian, losing both prior meetings, Collins’ recent form gave her a wealth of confidence which was evident in this clash.

Collins fired 12 aces throughout the two hour and 18-minute clash – seven in the first set alone – and while she recorded six double faults, with four during the tight second set, it did not matter with Kasatkina’s four double faults doubling her two aces. Overall, Collins won 72.7 per cent of her first serve points to overcome the Russian, backing up her first serve with a 61.5 per cent win rate on her second chance to come away with 57.7 per cent of the total points throughout the clash.

In Cluj-Napoca, second seed Andrea Petkovic broke through for her first title in over five years, defeating history-making Mayar Sherif 6-1 6-1 in one hour to return to the winners list. While Petkovic is a former world number nine, the German has struggled with form over the past few years but backed up some solid form in Hamburg in July to earn a spot in the inaugural Winners Open final, using her wealth of experience to deny Sherif the limelight.

“I feel so happy,” Petkovic said. “It feels much longer than six years, because so many things happened in the six years. I was ready to retire, I almost did retire, I started five new jobs!

“Now being back to what I love most, tennis, and winning at it, is just the best feeling. I’m the happiest person in the world right now.”

Petkovic’s seventh WTA Tour title – and fifth on clay – came through a combination of hard work and improved form, winning 74 per cent of her first serve points and backed it up with a 73.3 per cent win rate off her second serve. She converted five of her 10 break point opportunities whilst never facing a break point off Sherif, credit to her control on the match, and dominated in the final stage of the match reeling off six straight games to clinch the win.

While Sherif does not leave Cluj-Napoca with a champions trophy, she leaves with vital Tour-level finals experience and her head held high, becoming the first Egyptian woman to reach a WTA singles final.

“I’ll keep my head up, to learn from these losses and keep going forward,” Sherif said. “I’ll take it in a positive way.”

“Every match I played with all my heart, all my effort, all the mental effort that I could,” Sherif added in post-match press. “Happy from where I arrived with this tournament, and hopefully I’ll make everybody proud back home.”

SILICON VALLEY CLASSIC FINAL RESULT:

[7] Danielle Collins (USA) defeated [4] Daria Kasatkina (RUS) 6-3 6-7 6-1

WINNERS OPEN FINAL RESULT:

[2] Andrea Petkovic (GER) defeated Mayar Sherif (EGY) 6-1 6-1

Picture credit: Getty Images