'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Tamara Korpatsch became the latest title winner on the WTA Tour after emerging triumphant at the 2023 Transylvania Open.
The German No. 2 faced home favorite Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the final of the WTA 250 tournament in Cluj Napoca, Romania. This was the first tour-level final for Korpatsch, who began the contest on a back foot.
She was broken twice by Ruse but managed to rattle off six games on the trot to take the first set, 6-3. Breaks were plenty in the second set as well but Korpatsch held on to her one-break advantage to win the set, the match, and the title, 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets.
The 28-year-old had a long list of people she thanked after finally finding success on the WTA Tour, and one of them was American tennis legend Billie Jean King. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Korpatsch looked back on her meeting with King at the 2023 US Open, where the founder of the WTA encouraged the German to be focused and never give up.
King's words resonated with Tamara Korpatsch, as she has now ticked off a major career milestone after years of hard work on the tour. At the US Open, Korpatsch won her opening-round match against Irina-Camelia Begu but lost to Liudmila Samsonova in the second.
"That day I met you at the US Open, you motivated me, I promised myself I will make it one day and I just made it! Thank you @billiejeanking," the German wrote.
Tamara Korpatsch's route to the title at Transylvania Open
Tamara Korpatsch began her campaign in Cluj-Napoca against Leolia Jeanjean of France, a three-set marathon that the German won 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. The second-round match against No. 8 seed Jodie Burrage also went the distance, but Korpatsch came back from behind and clipped the contest in a third-set tiebreaker, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(5).
Tamara Korpatsch defeated Daria Snigur in the quarterfinals, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, and fellow German Eva Lys in the semifinals, 6-4, 6-3. After lifting the trophy, Korpatsch has risen to her career-best ranking of World No. 71.
Korpatsch's previously best performance on the WTA Tour had been a semifinal appearance at the Prague Open in August. In Grand Slams, she reached the second round at the Wimbledon Championships and the US Open, and the first round at the Australian Open. She did not qualify for the French Open main draw.
