LINZ/STARNBERG, February 2, 2025
The 34th edition of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz has its finalists. On Saturday, a familiar face at the Design Centre once again demonstrated her affinity for the tournament. Ekaterina Alexandrova, a two-time finalist in Linz (2018 and 2024), secured her third appearance in the championship match with a commanding 6-0, 6-4 victory over Karolina Muchova. The 30-year-old Russian will now compete for her fifth WTA title on Sunday.
Loving it in Linz
A third #WTALinz final for Alexandrova as she takes down Muchova 6-0, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/BiDpzPNr3X
— wta (@WTA) February 1, 2025
Against Czech top seed Muchova, Alexandrova proved to be the more consistent player, causing her opponent considerable difficulties with her aggressive and fast-paced game. She dominated with superior serving and significantly more winners. “I’m really happy to be back in the final here. It was a great performance from me. I started strong and didn’t give her many chances early on. The second set was tighter, but a few key points made the difference. Hopefully, the third time’s the charm,” Alexandrova said, reflecting on her past runner-up finishes in Linz.
Yastremska Reaches First Linz Final
Dayana Yastremska will make her debut in the Linz final after an impressive run through the tournament. On Saturday, the Ukrainian booked her place in a WTA final for the first time since Lyon in 2022 with a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win over Clara Tauson. Yastremska has yet to drop a set in Linz and attributed her success to a combination of fighting spirit and a relaxed mindset. “I tried to stay calm and enjoy myself, and that’s probably what got me to the final,” said the 24-year-old.
However, there was a moment of concern when Yastremska required a medical timeout in the second set due to discomfort in her left leg. “It hurts, but I’ll take care of it with my physio,” she said afterward.
A Power-Packed Final Awaits
Sunday’s final, set to begin at 2 PM in the near-sold-out Design Centre, promises an intense and hard-hitting showdown. The semi-final statistics hint at a battle of sheer power, with the two finalists combining for 66 winners—40 from Yastremska and 26 from Alexandrova.
Yastremska holds a 3-2 lead in their head-to-head meetings, though their last encounter dates back to June 2022, when the Ukrainian triumphed in three sets on grass in s’Hertogenbosch. However, Alexandrova has won both of their previous hard-court matches. Along with the prestigious Swarovski Cup, the winner will earn 500 WTA ranking points and a prize purse of $147,765.
Thrilling Doubles Final to Conclude the Tournament
The semi-final day ended with an exciting upset in the doubles draw. Hungary’s Timea Babos and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani stunned top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Zhang Shua with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 victory. Siniakova, fresh off winning her 10th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, was also competing in singles in Linz.
The Czech-Chinese duo held a 5-2 lead in the match tie-break before Babos and Stefani mounted a late surge, winning eight of the last ten points to seal their place in the final. They will now face Ukrainian twin sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok in Sunday’s doubles championship match, which follows the singles final. Together with Yastremska, the Kichenok twins could deliver a Ukrainian “double victory” in Linz.
