17-year-old Sonia Zhiyenbayeva emerged victorious at the ITF World Tennis Tour W15 tournament in Antalya, Turkey. In the final, the Kazakh player defeated Turkish opponent Yoruk Ilai (525 WTA) with a score of 7:6 (7:4), 6:4.
On her way to the title, Sonia defeated strong competitors, including the top seed of the tournament, Russian player Alexandra Shubladze (524 WTA), as highlighted by the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (FTK).
"Today was probably the most important day of the season for me. All matches throughout the week were very tough, and I am very glad that I managed to stay psychologically strong and confident. Thank you all for the support," said the young tennis player after her victory.
This title in Antalya marks her first in the adult women's tour. In the ITF Juniors ranking, she holds the 31st position. Thanks to this victory, on April 15, she will enter the Top 1000 in the updated WTA ranking, as announced by the FTK.
On April 13, in the final match of the "Billie Jean King Cup," Anna Danilina, alongside Zhibek Kulambaeva, defeated the 20th-ranked pair in the world, Ayumi Aoyama/Ena Shibahara, in a spectacular game.
