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Francesca Jones Wins Palermo Title | Fernandez & De Minaur Triumph

 







British tennis star Francesca Jones celebrated a major milestone this weekend, clinching the Palermo Challenger title with a dominant 6-3, 6-2 victory over Anouk Koevermans.

At just 24, Jones displayed impressive form throughout the tournament, not dropping a single set en route to the title. The Bradford-born player broke her Dutch opponent late in the first set to take control and carried that momentum into the second with an early break, eventually sealing the match in straight sets.

🌍 Career Breakthrough for Jones

With this win, Jones captures her second Challenger Tour title and is set to enter the WTA Top 100 for the first time, climbing to world number 84 when the new rankings are released on Monday.

Although she exited in the first round of Wimbledon earlier this month, Jones has since bounced back impressively, winning back-to-back Challenger events on clay. She's now just four spots away from making the main draw of the US Open as the fourth alternate.

Jones reached her first WTA semi-final in 2023 but had struggled with consistency until now. Her recent performances suggest she’s ready to take on the bigger stages.

🇬🇧 Loffhagen Falls Short in Challenger Final

Fellow Briton George Loffhagen also made headlines by reaching his first Challenger final in Segovia, Spain. Despite a valiant effort, he fell to Spain’s Nicolas Alvarez Varona, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in a tight three-set battle.

🌟 Fernandez & De Minaur Triumph in Washington

Elsewhere, it was a weekend to remember for Leylah Fernandez, who captured her first WTA 500 title at the Washington Open with a stunning 6-1, 6-2 win over Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya.

Kalinskaya struggled in the humid conditions and double-faulted twice at key moments, handing Fernandez crucial breaks. The Canadian took full advantage, wrapping up the final in just 40 minutes to claim the biggest win of her career.

This marks Fernandez’s return to the winner’s circle after losing the Eastbourne final in June 2024. With this title, she climbs from world No. 36 to No. 24 and now heads to Montreal for the Canadian Open, where she’ll face Australian Maya Joint in Round 1.

🦘 De Minaur Joins the Top 10 Club

In the men’s draw, Australia’s Alex de Minaur pulled off a gutsy comeback win against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the Washington final. After saving three match points, De Minaur rallied for a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) win.

This marks De Minaur’s 10th ATP career title and pushes him into the world’s top 10, rising from No. 13 to No. 8 ahead of the upcoming US Open.

🎾 A Weekend of Breakthroughs and Comebacks

From Francesca Jones’ top-100 debut to Fernandez and De Minaur’s big title wins, this week in tennis delivered powerful statements from rising and established stars alike. With the US Open around the corner, the momentum is building, and the road to Flushing Meadows promises even more thrilling action.

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