Nearly 3.5 hours of battle and a first WTA 1000 victory: Boisson prevails against Galfi in Beijing
In an exciting match, Loïs Boisson secured her first WTA 1000 victory by defeating Hungarian player Dalma Galfi.
As the last French player remaining in the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing, Loïs Boisson began her campaign with what seemed like a manageable match against Dalma Galfi, a Hungarian qualifier.
But nothing came easily for the Dijon native in this contest. During a balanced start to the match, the 22-year-old lost her serve at 3-3, before immediately breaking back.
Ultimately, after a lengthy first set lasting 1 hour and 20 minutes, Boisson took the lead by winning the tiebreak (8-6), after saving a set point. The Roland-Garros semifinalist seemed to have gained the upper hand and broke serve at the start of the second set to lead 2-0. But Galfi, who had eliminated Linda Fruhvirtova and Katarzyna Kawa in the qualifying rounds, did not give up and fought back.
After a tight final game, the 27-year-old Hungarian, ranked 97th in the WTA, eventually leveled the match at one set apiece after 2 hours and 37 minutes. At that point, anything seemed possible, but the French player's response was perfect. From the beginning of the decisive set, the world No. 41 pulled away with a double break and quickly led 4-0.
She maintained this advantage until the end, despite a challenging final service game. Loïs Boisson emerged victorious after a tough battle (7-6, 5-7, 6-2 in 3 hours and 23 minutes) and advanced to the second round of the WTA 1000 in Beijing.
This marks the French player's first victory in this tournament category. To secure a spot in the round of 16, she will have to overcome 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who received a first-round bye.
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