Podoroska had her triumphant baptism in Cali and gave the women’s branch a WTA title after 12 years

The passage of Argentine tennis players through the WTA 125 in Cali has historical implications. the victory of Nadia Podoroskathe first title of his career on this professional circuit, meant so much more to have faced Paola Ormechea and repeat a final between compatriots after almost 33 years. The victory, with partials of 6-4 and 6-2, will bring Rosario closer to returning to the Top 100 of the standings. all positive.

On clay, 25-year-old Podoroska prevailed with lucidity and authority over Sunchalense, after an hour and 31 minutes of play, closing an ideal week in which she had counted the biggest favorite for the title, the Hungarian Reka Luca Jani (111), the French Carole Monet (225), the Mexican Fernanda Contreras Gómez (183) and the Colombian Emiliana Arango (350).

Rosario finished 156th in the world rankings, but this title will allow her to climb up to 114th, less than 100 points from returning to the WTA Top 100.

Furthermore, despite the defeat, Ormaechea, 30, will also rise several positions in the standings and from this Monday will be number 156.

The last final on the WTA circuit between two Argentine tennis players dates back to 1989, when Federica Haumüller hit Patricia Tarabini from 7-6 and 6-4 in Guarujá, Brazil. While Gisela Dulkoin February 2011 at the Acapulco tournament, he had been the last to win a singles title.

The list of champions of Argentina has only seven members: the eternals Gabriel Sabatini (27) , Paola Suarez (4), dulko (4), Mercedes Paz (3), Mariana Diaz Oliva (1), Federica Haumüller (1) and now Podoroska.

A plan to start from scratch that worked

At the end of 2022, in an interview with clarionthe semifinalist of Roland Garros 2020 had admitted that she fell off the precipice due to a nagging injury and that she had to rebuild with a plan that was very clear to her: to start over.

A proximal hamstring tendinopathy in her right leg blocked her ascent – she reached 36th in the standings – and forced her to take a long break from the circuit: she did not play from August 2021 to June 2022. That long inactivity has left her facing a scenario similar to the one she had faced in her first years as a professional and faced with the need to start from the bottom up.

“It’s like starting from scratch. With a lot of experience in my backpack and more maturity than when I started playing, but doing exactly the same process and the same work as when I was 20 and 200th in the world, almost like I am now”, summed up the little one, at the beginning of a chat with clarion in a corner of the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis.

Since then she has alternated between tournaments on the ITF World Tour (she reached the final in one in Gran Canaria, Spain in August), the WTA 125 Series and the WTA circuit, in which her best result was the semifinal at the 250 in Chennai. , in September. You had many ups and downs and you were aware of it, but you weren’t discouraged.

“Continuing to be healthy is the main thing. Next, continue to build my tennis and my confidence. These months have been very mental for me. I think the difference in my level was not so much in tennis but mentally and emotional. That’s why I want to face every day, every week, with the same attitude as always, working and trying to improve”, he had projected.

This week in Cali will certainly allow him to continue growing.