Dominika Cibulkova cliched the Katowice Open title, beating Camila Giorgi who has played five WTA finals in her career, three of which at the Katowice Open, and is yet to win a title in the Polish city. In 2014 Giorgi finished runner-up to Alize Cornet after three tights sets, 7-6(3) 5-7 7-5, in 2015 Anna Karolina Schmiedlova beat her in the final 6-4 6-3, while today Cibulkova recorded a decisive 6-4 6-0 victory in the title match of the $250,000 tournament.
Slovakia’s Cibulkova, playing in the city that is just three hours’ drive from her home, opened the match with a confident 4-0 lead. At 2-5 down, world No.48 Giorgi started using her strengths and was just two points away from leveling the set to 5-all. However, that surge in the middle of the first set was all we got to see from Giorgi and the former world No.10 Cibulkova won the first set, before bageling Giorgi in the second. When you look at the score, this is Giorgi’s worst Katowice final of the three.
This is Cibulkova’s fifth WTA champion’s trophy and first since 2014, having narrowly missed out on the Acapulco title to Sloane Stephens in February 2016. (photos: Jimmie48)
