Samson battles back to claim Axeria Open crown
resh off the clay of Târgu Mureș, Czech Laura Samson stormed back from a set down to stun top seed Kaitlin Quevedo 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 and lift the Axeria Open – reeling off nine of the last twelve games to claim one of the biggest titles of her young career.
Clay court tennis | © Action Plus / PsNewz
Czech Laura Samson completed a fine week on the clay of Târgu Mureș, coming from a set down to defeat top seed Kaitlin Quevedo of Spain 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 and lift the Axeria Open 2026 powered by Intaro Sport, the WTA 125 event in Romania, on Sunday.
The fifth seed, ranked just No 153, saved her best tennis for the closing stretch: after dropping a lopsided opener, Samson turned the final around completely, reeling off nine of the last twelve games to overwhelm a higher-ranked opponent who had looked in control early.
It capped an impressive run to the title. On her way to the final, Samson knocked out Italian No 4 seed Lucia Bronzetti (7-5, 6-4), edged Serbia’s Mia Ristic in a three-set battle (7-6, 4-6, 6-2), advanced when Ukrainian Anastasiia Sobolieva retired (4-2), and saw off Romanian Alesia Breaz (6-4, 6-3) — a mix of grit and consistency on the demanding clay.
Quevedo, ranked No 103, could reflect on a strong tournament of her own. The Spaniard had reached the final by beating British No 3 seed Francesca Jones (7-6 (5) ret.), French No 8 seed Carole Monnet (7-6 (4), 6-3), Irene Burillo (7-5, 6-1) and Romania’s Irina Fetecau (6-1, 6-3), dropping just one completed set before the final. But on the day, it was Samson’s ability to raise her level after the first set that made the difference, handing the young Czech one of the biggest titles of her career.
