TENNIS / Taiwan's Joanna Garland claims WTA 125 title in Canberra

Taipei, Jan. 10 (CNA) British-Taiwanese tennis player Joanna Garland claimed the singles title at the WTA Workday Canberra International, defeating Uzbekistan's Polina Kudermetova, the No. 3 seed, 6-4, 6-2 in straight sets Saturday in Canberra.

The tournament is part of the WTA 125 series.

In a match that lasted 1 hour, 24 minutes, 24-year-old Garland, the world no. 129 and Taiwan's highest-ranked female singles player, maintained an attacking stance and broke serve in the pivotal seventh game to claim the opening set.

She dominated the next game, scoring four consecutive points. Though her opponent tried to fight back, Garland secured the victory at Canberra's Canberra Tennis Centre.

After six previous attempts since 2012, Garland became the first Taiwanese woman to win a WTA 125 singles title.

She is also the fourth Taiwanese player to reach a WTA 125 singles final after Kelly Chang (張凱貞), Latisha Chan (詹詠然) and Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇).

Born in the United Kingdom to a British father and Taiwanese mother, Garland moved with her family to Taiwan when she was 10 years old. She won the Taiwan national U18 tennis championship in 2016 and began competing on the professional circuit in 2019.

She closed out 2024 with a 29-match winning streak on the ITF Circuit, including five consecutive titles.

Garland carried that momentum into 2025, adding three more ITF singles crowns and reaching a career-high of No. 120 in the world on Nov. 3, according to the WTA.