Devidze overcomes Todd for women’s singles title
LAKEVILLE, MN - Things weren’t looking good for Salome Devidze. For around a 5-minute period in Game 3 of the women’s singles final, it looked like her opponent Parris Todd was about to repeat her heroics from Thursday with another Game 3 comeback.
After all, Devidze was now tied at 9-9 with Todd after going up 8-0 in the deciding game.
But another comeback was not meant to be, and the former Georgian tennis pro closed out the back-and-forth match with a combination well-struck drives and well-placed volleys on the next few points to emerge with a 12-10, 2-11, 11-9 victory.
Interestingly enough, Devidze was able to find her calm in the match’s tensest moments.
“Honestly, I just relaxed,” Devidze recalled of her mentality at 9-9. “At that point I was thinking ‘Well, all the pressure is gone. 8-0 is gone, so I’m just gonna play my game.’”
‘Playing her game’ got it done and earned the No. 3 seed her first PPA gold since the Hertz Gold Cup in November.
With already one title under her belt in 2024, Devidze’s enjoying the quick start to her year in singles.
“I had a goal to win a PPA last year and it took me 11 months,” she explained. “This year, I had a goal to win a PPA, and it took me much less time than that, so I’m really excited.”
Catherine Parenteau, who Devidze beat in a semifinal battle on Thursday, took down Lina Padegimaite to claim bronze.
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