Veronika Kudermetova, paired with Elise Mertens, became the winner of the WTA Finals.
In the final match, the Russian-Belgian duet defeated the Czech tennis players Barbora Kreychikova and Katerzhina Sinyakova - 6:2, 4:6, 11:9.
The representative of Russia became the owner of this prestigious trophy for the first time in six years.
The last victory of domestic tennis players at the Final Tournament dates back to 2016: then Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova became triumphant in pairs.
The final match with one of the best couples in the world in recent years was not easy for Kudermetova and Mertens, although they won the first set with an almost crushing score of 6:2.
In the second installment, a more intense struggle ensued in each draw.
Veronika and Elise managed to make a break in the seventh game and took the lead 4:3, but immediately gave up their serve: Kudermetova failed to cope with Kreichikova's powerful forehand at the break point.
And the next two games of the Czechs completely took to zero.
It seemed that Barbora and Katerzhina caught a real courage, as they confidently took the lead 7:2 at the super tie-break, but the Russian and the Belgian were not going to give up.
Kudermetov was especially determined to win this match.
If Mertens still has a performance for the national team in the Billie Jean King Cup ahead, then for Veronika the current season, for known reasons, ended in this final, and it was important for the athlete to win it.
So it was she who took the initiative in her own hands, over and over again completing the draws in her favor.
“During that tie-break with a score of 2: 7, I told Elise that we need to believe, keep a positive attitude and by all means continue to work,” Veronica said after the match.
The partner admitted that it was the 25-year-old native of Kazan who made the decisive contribution to the victory in the final.
“We just believed to the last and handled the important moments well.
At the end, Veronica played amazingly, and I was like, “Oh my God, you need to hit!”
I think we've had a great momentum all week.
Every match we went to the court with the intention to win, a positive attitude also helped a lot, ”said Mertens.
Thanks to determination and self-confidence, the Russian and the Belgian won six draws in a row and tipped the scales in their favor.
Veronika earned her first match point on Kreychikova's serve, delivering a series of sharp diagonal shots from the right and forcing her opponent to send the ball into the net.
After that, Kudermetova went to serve for the match, but at first she didn’t hit the zone, and the second ball flew too softly, which allowed Sinyakova to attack right away.
A new chance to finish the meeting in their favor was presented to the Russian-Belgian duet after one draw.
Mertens actively played at the reception, and Kreichikova made a mistake with a volley, sending the ball far out of bounds.
Having received the coveted trophy, Kudermetova admitted that she was overwhelmed with emotions and she was incredibly happy.
The Russian woman thanked the audience for their support, the team of coaches for the preparation, and also the partner for fighting to the end.
“During the whole of today's match, we kept a positive attitude and gave our best,” she stressed.
This season has become a real breakthrough for the Russians.
In singles, she started it on the 31st line of the world ranking, and completed it already in ninth place.
Only a misfire in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Guadalajara did not allow Veronica to qualify for the Final Championship among singles.
In addition, the 25-year-old tennis player for the first time in her career reached the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam tournament - Rolland Garros, and also reached the fourth round of the US Open.
As for the performance in pairs, the duet with Mertens formed at the end of last season, and at the start of this year the girls immediately reached the Australian Open semi-finals, where they lost to the same Kreychikova and Sinyakova.
They then went on to win the Dubai tournament and also played in several finals.
At Rolland Garros, the Russian woman and the Belgian reached the fourth round, which allowed Kudermetova to rise to the second line of the world doubles ranking.
Several subsequent setbacks pushed her lower, but a victory at the Final Tournament would return Veronica to second place.
“Of course it's amazing to get into the top 10 in both singles and doubles.
Initially, I did not think about the possibility of breaking into the top 10.
I worked, I believed, and now I am very happy to finish the season with this wonderful trophy, ”the athlete summed up the year.