Photo credit: Internationaux de Strasbourg Facebook
Timely stinging serving helped Elena Rybakina do title trophy heavy lifting today.
Rybakina ripped 16 aces conquering Liudmila Samsonova 6-1, 6-7(2), 6-1 in the Internationaux de Strasbourg final on red clay.
Then came the fun part.
Rybakina raised her ninth career championship—and first title since she won Stuttgart on red clay in April of 2024.
"I’m really happy with the week, with the way I played these matches," Rybakina said. "It was not easy, but I think I’m on the right way, playing better each match."
While many may regard Rybakina as a fast-court player given her 2022 Wimbledon championship, she's now won four of her nine career titles on red clay.
Rybakina can be a disruptor at Roland Garros where she resides in the top half of the draw.
Though she failed to surpass the third round in her last three tournaments—Miami, Madrid and Rome—Rybakina found her range and rhythm in Strasbourg. Rybakina hit those 16 aces against just two double faults and saved six of eight break points in a two hour, 13-minute triumph.
The eighth-seeded Samsonova put together a strong week that saw her defeat Linda Noskova, Diane Parry, Paula Badosa and Danielle Collins to reach her ninth career final.
In the end, Samsonova could not protect serve against Rybakina's penetrating backhand return game in the final set.