by Francesca Curmi beat Lucie Havlickova in three sets 6-3; 2-6; 6-0, in the main draw of the ITF W100 Figueira da Foz tournament in Portugal. The win extends the head-to-head to 2-0 in favour of Curmi and takes takes her into the round of sixteen. The Maltese player made it to the main draw following her two wins in the qualification stage.
Players’ Progression into the Main Draw
Following the impressive showings at the WTA 250 tournament on Palermo’s clay courts last week (qualification and main draw), Francesca Curmi has set eyes on the hardcourts of the W100 tournament being held in Figueira da Foz, Portugal.
The Maltese player needed to win her encounters in qualification to be able to make the main draw. She opened her commitments with a win over Australian Gabriella Da Silva Fick, which she won in straight sets 6-4; 6-0. Following that she won her encounter against Ksenia Zaytseva who presented tougher opposition by forcing a deciding set. However, Curmi fended off the challenge by taking the match 7-5; 3-6; 6-1, thus proceeding into the main draw.
On the other hand, Lucie Havlickova automatically progressed to the main draw as the seventh seed in the tournament.
Curmi’s Victory over Havlickova
It was the second time in a month that Francesca Curmi (WTA #321) and Lucie Havlickova (WTA #197) faced each other, with the two meeting also in Liepaja. The Maltese won both encounters, taking the head-to-head to a 2-0 in her favour.
The Czech opened on serve and held relatively comfortably, before the Maltese matched the score. Curmi then pounced on the first break point, which she sustained with a hold on serve to open a 3-1 lead. Havlickova appeared to be in more danger in the next game, but managed to save three breakpoints before serving out the deuce. Sensing the momentum shift, she broke back in the next game to even the score 3-3.
The Czech appeared to be cruising to another hold at 40-0, before Curmi fought back to deuce. Two straight double faults handed the break back to the Maltese, who then held to love to pile pressure on Havlickova to stay in the set at 5-3. Though the Czech served up an ace, Curmi forced a deuce and broke again to end the set 6-3.
Despite missing out on the first set, Lucie Havlickova started the second in the best possible way by breaking Curmi’s serve in the opening game, before holding her own to open a 2-0 lead. Though Curmi held to love in the next game, she could not threathen Havlickova’s serve, with the two sustaining straightforward holds at 3-1. Three straight breaks of serve followed, enabling the Czech player to race into a 5-2 lead. She served out the set without facing another break point, 6-2, and so forced a decider.
It was one way traffic in the final set. Curmi opened the deciding set in the best possible way, holding to love before securing a break early on. At 3-0 down, Havlickova was in trouble again, but cancelled three break points and appeared to be heading for her first hold of serve in the set. However, Curmi regained control and secured a double break with her fourth break point in the game. Despite the score, the Czech kept grinding out the points and threathened to break back but the Maltese held on by cancelling two break points before securing the hold. The match completely slipped away from Havlickova who was broken a final time, losing the set 6-0.
Next Fixture & Doubles Match
The win takes Francesca Curmi into the round of sixteen where she will face Harmony Tan (world #245). The French player has eight ITF titles to her name. She enjoyed her best performance in a Grand Slam during the 2022 Wimbeldon tournament, where she defeated Serena Williams, Sara Sarribas Tormo and Katie Boulter, before falling to Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round.
Besides playing in the singles’ tournament, Curmi also partnered up with the spaniard Irene Burillo Escorihuela as they attempted to get the better of the Portuguese duo and number one seeds Francisca and Matilde Jorge. However, it was the Portuguese that came away with the win in straight sets 7-6 (7-0), 6-4.
