Veronika Kudermetova wins Japan Open after defeating Jessica Pegula in shock – ‘You just need to fight’

Veronika Kudermetova defeated Jessica Pegula in straight sets, 7-5 6-1, to win the Japan Open title on Sunday.

Kudermetova, seeded eighth, needed one hour and 24 minutes to beat the No. 2 seed to win the second WTA Tour singles title of her career, and her first since April 2021 in Charleston.

She had lost each of her last four finals since then, but the world No. 19 kept her unbeaten record against her American rival, having now played twice, the last time coming in this year’s Madrid Open quarter-finals.

Kudermetova moved 3-0 clear in the first set, using her power from the baseline to put the pressure on.

However, Pegula showed her steel as she fought back to level the scores, until two double faults in the last game allowed Kudermetova to break and take the opener 7-5.

Kudermetova then raced into a 5-1 lead in the second set before showing her power once more, using a booming serve to close things out.

“Jessica is a great player, she’s a great fighter, and I prepared myself for the fight,” Kudermetova said, after her win.

“When it was 5-5 in the first set, I just said to myself, ‘Veronika, you just need to fight, you just need to do everything that you can’, and I did.”

For Kudermetova, this was her fifth win in her last six matches against top-10 players.

She demonstrated impressive fitness after playing for almost three and a half hours against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the semi-finals.

“I’m really happy because before, it was not an easy time for me, it was really tough moments,” Kudermetova continued. “Now, I’m really happy and I have a lot of motivation for the next weeks.”

Pegula, meanwhile, cast a phlegmatic figure in defeat.

“It’s always great to give yourself a chance to win the tournament,” she said.

“I’m definitely still positive about that and the level in some of my matches especially going into Beijing… She played some great tennis and sometimes that’s how it goes.”