WTA Auckland: Julia Goerges beats Bianca Andreescu to make history

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Julia Goerges made history at the ASB Classic. The German came back to beat Bianca Andreescu 2-6 7-5 6-2 and became the third player ever to win back-to-back Auckland titles, after Patty Fendick (1988-89) and Eleni Daniilidou (2003-04).

The Canadian, who was aiming to become the first qualifier to win this event since Marion Maruska in 1997, played like a veteran in her first WTA final. World No.152 Andreescu, the fifth millennial to reach a title-match on tour following Olga Danilovic, Dayana Yastremska, Anastasia Potapova, and Amanda Anisimova, will smash her highest-ranking of No.143, set in August 2017 after she reached her first WTA Tour quarterfinal in Washington, by at least 30 places on Monday.

Despite she was playing only her fourth WTA tournament, she belied no nerves, helped by previous stunning wins over Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki. She broke twice in her first two return games as the German struggled to cope with her power from the baseline.

In an extremely one-sided contest, she went 4-0 up and converted the first set point with a ripping forehand winner. Struggling with a back injury throughout the week, Andreescu needed a medical timeout at the end of the opening set.

Goerges looked assertive and refocused as she took the initiative and an early break to open the second. Suddenly, Andreescu found some impetuous tennis again to broke back to 4-4 and come within a few points from the title in the next game.

For the first time, her 18 years of age surfaced and errors began to creep into her game as she entered her 14th hour on court in Auckland. Youth and impatience made her shot selection more frenetic and her shot making definitely erratic.

Goerges sensed the opportunity and converted her second set point to level the match. The pattern continued in the deciding. Goerges broke in the first and fifth games, for the sixth and seventh time in seven looks and cruised towards her tenth victory in the last twelve matches.

Andreescu, whose 12-match winning streak came to an end, had no answer to the German's unrelenting consistency. The gallant Andreescu saved two match points at 1-5 down, but on the third Goerges clinched her seventh career WTA title.