18-Year-Old Iva Jovic Claims Second WTA Title in Guadalajara
American teenager Iva Jovic defeated Peyton Stearns in Sunday's final to win her fourth career WTA title, which will lift her to a career-high world ranking.
In the final of the WTA 500 tournament in Guadalajara, 18-year-old American Iva Jovic defeated compatriot Peyton Stearns 6:4, 6:2. Stearns, who has previously been ranked as high as 36th in the world, could not match Jovic's level on the day. Because the sport's top players were resting after the US Open, the field in Mexico was relatively modest this time.
Jovic, who is of Serbian descent, entered the final as a clear favorite, with bookmakers offering odds of 1.28 on her victory. She outperformed her opponent across nearly every statistical category: winning 77% of points on her first serve compared to Stearns' 62%, 62% on her second serve compared to 55%, and 61 total points won to Stearns' 47. Jovic also converted three of five break-point chances, while Stearns had none.
For reaching the final, Stearns earned 325 ranking points and a prize of 114,500 US dollars. The champion received 500 points and 185,500 dollars.
This marks the second time Jovic has triumphed at the Guadalajara tournament specifically — she won here a year ago as well, when she was ranked 14th among American players. The victory brings her career total to two WTA Tour titles, and in the upcoming rankings update she will climb to a career-high 13th position in the world.
Meanwhile, an intriguing final awaits at the WTA 250 hard-court event in Sao Paulo, where 20-year-old Spaniard Caty McNally... rather, Katalina Quevedo, faces Argentina's Nadia Podoroska, who is of Ukrainian descent and has previously reached world No. 36.
