TENERIFE, October 24, 2021
Ann Li captured her maiden title on the WTA Tour by lifting the trophy of the inaugural Tenerife Ladies Open, a WTA 250 hard-court event hosted by the Abama Tennis Club in Guía di Isora.
The 21-year-old US-American defeated Colombian teenager Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 6-1, 6-4 in the singles final on a cloudy but warm Sunday afternoon on the largest of the Canary Islands. Li capitalized on five of her 10 break-point chances to seal victory in one hour and 11 minutes.
Finishing the week on 🔝 in Tenerife
Ann Li claims her first career @WTA title after a 6-1, 6-4 win over Camila Osorio! pic.twitter.com/ptfB7A3Xr9
— USTA (@usta) October 24, 2021
“Winning this title here means a lot to me,” Li said during her post-match press conference. “I feel like I am on a steady path going forward. I had a great start into the year, reaching the final with Annet Kontaveit. After that I had some up and downs but this definitely means a lot and my confidence is growing. So I feel a lot better about that. I keep working and keep getting better.”
It was Li’s second career title match. Her first final at the Grampians Trophy in Melbourne earlier this year, however, went unplayed just prior to the Australian Open.
“It is important that you don’t put too much pressure on yourself before a final, especially when you want to perform your best. I tried to treat it like any other match. This week I was enjoying every moment I had on the court, which helped me to stay relaxed when I needed it. It was just fun, especially here on this beautiful island. Everything to be happy about. This helped me to play better. “
Li will next play in Courmayeur, Italy and is projected to reach a new career-high ranking of World No. 48.
“I have never focused on the rankings. It is awesome for me to keep moving forward. I have another tournament coming up, so hopefully the momentum is going there,” Li concluded.
Next stop: Abama Tennis Academy. 🎾
Tenerife Ladies Open singles final. #WTATour #Tenerife 🌴 pic.twitter.com/NjnJi7fG9J
— Florian Heer (@Florian_Heer) October 24, 2021
The Tenerife Ladies Open was organized by Italian promoters MEF Tennis Events. “It was a high-level WTA Tour event,” said MEF president Marcello Marchesini.
“Camila Giorgi played an incredible tournament. She faced Camila Osorio in the semi-finals, who surprised the world with her performance. We are excited that the Colombian has shown this level and I believe that in the future we will see both her and Ann Li in the top positions of the WTA Circuit.”
Professional tennis in Tenerife is not over yet, as from October 31 to November 7, the Tenerife ATP Challenger will take place.
