History for China at 2024 ITF Masters World Individual Championships
There was history for China at the 2024 ITF Masters 30, 35, 40 World Individual Championships in Lisbon, Portugal.
Min Lui defeated Germany’s Anna Katharina Lueke 6-1 6-2 in the Final of the Women’s Singles 30+ to become the first player from China and only the third player from Asia to win an ITF Masters World Individual Championships title.
"The level has been so high in the last few rounds so I knew I had to play my best," said Liu. "I am glad that I could reach the level, and it feels amazing to win."
After playing on the ITF World Tennis Tour for more than 16 years, Liu has started to transition to the ITF World Tennis Tour Masters.
Earlier this year, she played her first Masters tournaments in Barcelona, where she is now based after recently moving from Xiamen, China.
Having enjoyed the on-court competition in Lisbon as well as the opportunity to meet new people, Liu hopes that her success at this year’s World Championships will provide inspiration to others from her homeland.
“It would be great to get more players from China and Asia to compete at World Championships in the future," she added.
Elsewhere, Manon Kruse completed another impressive triple crown, winning the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles in the 40+ category. After losing in the Final of the Team event in the previous week, Kruse said she was “relieved” to bounce back in the Individuals.
“It was a tough two weeks with a lot of sun and heat," she reflected. "Of course, I am proud that I won all three events again, especially after the difficult result of the Team event.”
There was further German success in the Men’s Singles 35+ as Kim Moeller defeated the Spaniard Carlos Garcia-Villanueva 6-4, 6-3 in the Final.
Another Spaniard, Samuel Arauzo Martinez, who reached the Finals of all three events in the 30+ category, ultimately could not match Kruse’s feat, as he lost in the singles to Belgium’s Clement Maas and in the doubles, alongside his compatriot Roger Ordeig, to Portuguese pair Goncalo Falcao and Joao Ferreira.
Alongside the Estonian Kadi Liis Saar, Arauzo Martinez was defeated in an extraordinary 30+ Mixed Doubles Final by India’s Chandril Sood and Austria’s Kerstin Peckl. After saving multiple match points, Sood and Peckl eventually triumphed 17-15 in the match tiebreak to clinch the title.
Meanwhile, Bart De Gier followed up his victory with Netherlands in the team event by defeating the Frenchman Jacques Gley in the final of the Men’s Singles 40+.
Finally, there was further success on home soil for Rita Freitas who defended her title in the Women’s Singles 35+ which she won in Lisbon in 2022.
You can find the full results here: World Individual Championships (30, 35, 40) Draws and Results