Jade Curtis and Viki Stoklasova, Repeat Winners at the Boston Open

January 25-26, 2019
Weston, MA

2019 Boston Women's Open Final Results (pdf)

With only four seeded teams and so many top players in the draw, the fourth Grand Prix tournament of the season was ripe for an upset. It happened in the Round of 16, when the fourth seeds, Suzanne Lemery and Kelly Rohrbach, failed to advance, but the ultimate champions, Jade Curtis and Viki Stoklasova, turned back all challengers to successfully defend the Boston Open title they claimed last year.

Lemery/Rohrbach were on the verge of winning their Round of 16 match against the tough veteran team of Maria Manley and Pam Ruoff, racing out to a 6-0, 4-1 lead, but the unseeded duo clawed their way back into the match. After eking out the second set, 7-5 in the tiebreaker, they held on to take the third set, 7-5. Manley/Ruoff were then able to take the first set in their quarterfinal match against Martina Ondrejkova and Ana Zubori, coming back from a 6-3 deficit in the first set tiebreaker to win it, but Ondrejkova/Zubori came back to take the next two sets and earn a semifinal berth.

The other quarterfinal in the top half of the draw also went the distance, as the second seeds, Laura Berendt and Roxy Enica, faced off against Jessica Guyaux and Myrthe Molenveld. This match was a see-saw battle, with each team taking a set, 6-3. In the third set, every time one side seemed to gain momentum, the other snatched it back. It was only fitting that the match ended in a tiebreaker, which Berendt/Enica won, capping off a gritty, highly competitive match.

The quarterfinals on the bottom half of the draw were less dramatic. Curtis/Stoklasova, seeded third, beat Alison Morgan and Chelsea Nusslock in straight sets, and the top seeds, Florentina Hanisch and Annica van Starrenburg handily defeated Lauren DeLong and Shana Roberts.

The semifinals were fairly straightforward. In a battle of hard hitters, Berendt/Enica proved steadier than Ondrejkova/Zubori, winning 6-2, 6-3. Curtis/Stoklasova put on a dazzling display of power, finesse, and flawless volleying, never giving Hanisch/van Starrenburg a chance to get into the match and only losing two games.

The first set of the finals was all Curtis/Stoklasova. Down 1-6 and failing to convert on any of the three break points they earned down 0-1 in the second, it looked like Berendt/Enica were heading for a quick exit. They altered their game plan, however, and started cleaning up some of the errors that plagued them in the first set and the beginning of the second. Suddenly, Curtis/Stoklasova had a real battle on their hands for the first time in the tournament, and Berendt/Enica were able to extend the match to a third set. The level of play was high in the third, but Curtis/Stoklasova were able to find their consistency again, taking the third set, 6-3, and with it their second consecutive Boston Open title.

Thank you to tournament director Drew Sawyer and Weston Golf Club Head Racquets Professional Genius Chidzikwe for running an amazing event for players and fans. There were many spectators all weekend, culminating in the hundreds of fans who enjoyed the Saturday night BBQ.

Results:
Main Draw: Jade Curtis/Viki Stoklasova def. Laura Berendt/Roxy Enica, 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
Quarterfinal Reprieve: Alison Morgan/Chelsea Nusslock def. Maria Manley/Pam Ruoff, 6-2, 6-0
Round of 16 Consolation: Suzanne Lemery/Kelly Rohrbach def. Jolene Sutter/Alison Von Kennel, 7-6, 6-4
Round of 16 Consolation Reprieve: Roopali Hall/Morgan Melnikoff def. Rita Kladstrup/Dionne Pike, 7-5, 6-3
Round of 32 Consolation: Sally Jones/Stef Ross def. Cathy Ackerman/Katrina Driscoll, 7-6, 6-2
Round of 32 Consolation Reprieve: Macie Elliott/Diana Navrotska def. Thea Dolan/Janet Linehan, 6-1, 7-5