German teenager Noma Noha Akugue continued her fairytale run in her hometown tournament, defeating Diana Shnaider in straight sets to make the Hamburg Open final on Friday.
Wild card Akugue, ranked 207 in the world and playing in her first WTA main draw event, said she was “speechless” after winning through 6-3, 6-3 to set up a meeting with Dutch seventh seed Arantxa Rus.
“A week ago, I didn’t even know if I would get a wild card,” Akugue said, adding she “could not believe” her run had continued to “my first final” today.
“I hope I can keep playing my best tennis in the final.”
Akugue, born in Hamburg to Nigerian parents, broke her fellow 19-year-old twice in the first set and once in the second.
Demonstrating poise and calm she blocked her Russian opponent from converting any of six break points.
After her quarter-final win over former French Open semi-finalist Martina Trevisan on Thursday, Akugue said she tried to keep her emotions under control, playing tennis “with a poker face”.
Earlier yesterday, Rus booked her spot in the final after coming from a set down to defeat Australian Daria Saville.
Rus, 32, lost the first set 6-2 but rallied to win the next two 6-3, 6-1 on the Hamburg clay.
Rus hit a career high world number 60 after her quarter-final win over German Eva Lys on Thursday, one spot higher than the 61 she reached more than a decade ago in 2012.
Noma Noha Akugue
