Tamara Korpatsch is having a wonderful week in Cluj, where she achieved her first WTA final of her career on the fourth attempt (having lost her previous three appearances in the semifinals). She accomplished this after an excellent journey, showcasing solid tennis and finding the right tactical solutions in her victories over Jeanjean, Burrage, Snigur, and Lys. A journey in which she came back from 1-5 in the decisive tiebreak against Burrage and from a breakdown in the deciding set against Snigur.
Tamara is accustomed to fighting. This was evident in her semifinal against Eva Lys, whom Tamara defeated in straight sets. She mentioned, “It was a tough match; Eva is a strong player and plays good tennis. I fought until the end, and I am very happy to play my first WTA final, hoping to have a good game on Sunday.”
Tamara says she aimed to be aggressive but also tried to vary her shots, adding slices and making Eva run more than her, changing the direction. These are all things Tamara did very well throughout the tournament.
How important is this result for her? “It means a lot to me; it’s my first WTA final. I really like Transylvania Open. I was here last year, and I enjoyed it a lot, even though I lost in the second round of qualifiers and then in the first round as a lucky loser. At the first match this year, I thought I hadn’t won any match on this Center Court, but now I can’t stop winning. I hope this will be my year!”
Last year, Tamara mentioned a first-round match at the Transylvania Open where she narrowly missed victory, squandering two match points before Dayana Yastremska turned the match around in three sets. Luck has favored her this year.
Gabriela Ruse, her opponent for Sunday, said about Tamara, “It will be a very, very tough match, first of all, from a physical standpoint. Tamara is a fighter and runs very well. But I wholeheartedly wish that my determination and the support of the fans will make a difference.”
This will be their third meeting, with Gabriela winning the first two, both in three sets, matches played on clay in 2018 and 2020.
