Lansere comes from a set down to beat top seed Blinkova for Luanda title

Eighth seed Sofya Lansere beat France’s Anna Blinkova 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 in the Angola Ladies Open final on Sunday, after letting a 5-2 lead slip in the opening set.

Sofya Lansere let a 5-2 lead slip in the opening set and was broken in the first game of the decider, but the Russian came back to win the Luanda WTA 125 title in 2 hours 38 minutes.

Lansere, ranked No. 266, beat a player ranked 161 places above her in the WTA rankings. The first set of the final was the only one she dropped all week.

How Lansere beat Blinkova in Luanda

Lansere led 5-2 in the opening set and had a set point on Blinkova’s serve at 5-3. Blinkova saved it and won five games in a row to take the set 7-5. Lansere answered with six straight games, taking the second set 6-1 in 44 minutes.

Blinkova broke in the opening game of the decider and led 2-1. Lansere then won four games in a row, with two breaks, to lead 5-2. Blinkova held, then broke as Lansere served for the title at 5-3. Lansere broke back on her third match point to close it out 6-4.

Serve was fragile on both sides, with 17 breaks in 29 games. Lansere served 16 double faults, but Blinkova held only five of her 15 service games. Lansere won 57% of the points behind her first serve, against 43% for Blinkova.

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Lansere’s path to the title

First round: d. Angella Okutoyi 6-0, 7-5
Second round: d. Kristina Novak 6-0, 6-1
Quarter-final: d. Martyna Kubka (3) 7-6 (4), 7-5
Semi-final: d. Noma Noha Akugue (2) 7-6 (6), 6-2
Final: d. Anna Blinkova (1) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4

Blinkova’s path to the final

First round: d. Farah Heddar (WC) 6-2, 6-1
Second round: d. Zongyu Li 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Quarter-final: d. Yasmine Kabbaj (6) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Semi-final: d. Gina Feistel 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Final: lost to Sofya Lansere (8) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4