Eva Bennemann triumphs on the ITF Tour – as a qualifier. The promising German tennis player climbs over 180 places in the world rankings.
Eva Bennemann has sensationally won the title at the ITF tournament in Petingen.
The 18-year-old won the Shootingstars final against Belgium’s Jeline Vandromme in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Bennemann plays big
Remarkably, Bennemann won the tournament as a qualifier. The promising German tennis player outclassed the competition in the main draw and marched to the title without losing a single set. She had lost one set in the qualifiers.
In the quarterfinals, Bennemann eliminated Elena Gabriela Ruse, currently ranked 99th in the world. It was her first victory against a player from the top 100. Before the tournament, Bennemann was ranked 568th in the WTA world rankings. With this triumph, she catapulted herself up 189 places and will be ranked 379th in the world as of Monday.
“It’s definitely unexpected,” said Bennemann with a grin after her victory over Vandromme: “It’s a special feeling. I didn’t expect it at all at the beginning because I had many strong opponents throughout the tournament.”
Triumph at the French Open
Bennemann is one of Germany’s greatest talents and trains under former national coach Barbara Rittner. In May of this year, she and Sonja Zhenikhova won the junior doubles title at the French Open.
“It’s been an incredible year,” said Bennemann with a smile. “Starting with the French Open doubles title. But it’s also great that I managed to make such a smooth transition from juniors to women’s tennis. In between, I graduated from high school in the summer. And now, ending the year with a tournament victory is something very special, I’m very happy.”