CHIASSO/STARNBERG, April 26, 2026

Maria Timofeeva of Uzbekistan is the new champion of the Axion Open, delivering a dominant performance in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tennis Club Chiasso. The Russian-born player defeated Italy’s Lisa Pigato 6-2, 6-3 on the Swiss clay courts, capping a strong week in which she grew match by match after saving a match point in the opening round of the ITF World Tennis Tour W75 tournament.

At 22 years old, Timofeeva, a former world No. 93, is set to rise to around No. 132 in the rankings, with further opportunities ahead as she prepares to compete at the ITF W100 event in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Despite the loss, Pigato leaves Chiasso with plenty of positives. The young Italian has enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, reaching five finals and winning three titles, climbing nearly 200 ranking positions. She is projected to move up to around world No. 138 and No. 3 in Italy, pending the next official rankings update.

Timofeeva praised her opponent after the final: “I had to save a match point in my first match, but from that moment I improved round by round. Winning as the top seed is never easy. I’ve known Lisa since we were young, and she’s made a huge step forward this season.”

Pigato, whose nine-match winning streak across Madrid and Chiasso came to an end in the final, remains focused on the upcoming challenges. She will next compete at the WTA 125 event in Saint-Malo before receiving a wildcard into the main draw of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and aiming to play her first Grand Slam qualifying at Roland Garros.

“It was a different but very special week,” Pigato said. “The support from the crowd and working with my full team helped me a lot. Maybe emotions affected me a bit today, but it doesn’t take away from what we’ve achieved.”

Tournament director Matteo Mangiacavalli expressed satisfaction with the success of the 14th edition, highlighting the strong attendance and the presence of local players deep in the draw as key factors in generating excitement.