Fitzpatrick/Veselinovic Scale
New Heights with Second
Successive Title
Monte Carlo Tennis Academy duo Anna Fitzpatrick and Ana Veselinovic
have won back-to-back doubles titles on US soil to send their rankings
higher than ever before.
The pair, who lifted the winners' trophy in Clearwater, Florida last
week, joined forces to win another impressive title at the $25,000
event in Fort Walton Beach.
Fitzpatrick and Veselinovic beat Dutch pair Nicole Thyssen and Pauline
Wong 6-3 7-6 (4) in the final, fighting back from a 4-0 deficit in the
second set.
"We are really happy to win back to back titles," said Fitzpatrick.
"We fought hard in the 2nd set to get back even and eventually win it
- we didn't get disappointed and let the set go, we kept fighting."
The victory is likely to catapult Veselinovic's doubles ranking to
inside the top 200 for the first time, while Fitzpatrick will rise
almost 80 places in two weeks to around No.230.
MCTA Director of Tennis David Sammel said: "This is impressive. Back
to back titles are rare at challenger level and this is an achievement
that deserves respect. We are a proud academy today and hopefully they
can make it a hatrick in the 50K in Vegas this week if they get in!
The points are not yet on the computer from either tournament which is
tough on them if it means missing out on Vegas."
The girls will now travel to Las Vegas for a $50,000 event which
boasts many Top 100 players in its singles entry list.