Polona Hercog made Slovenian tennis history on Sunday, becoming the first Slovenian tennis player ever to defend a WTA title when she defeated France's Mathilde Johansson 0:6, 6:4, 7:5 in Bastad.
With what is only her second WTA victory, the 21-year-old Hercog also climbed to third place on Slovenian all-time rankings.
She is bested only by Mima Jaušovec (who won Rolland Garros in 1978) and the still active Katarina Srebotnik (four tournaments in the individual competition).
Hercog's victory comes just two months after an injury threatened to derail her career.
After months of increasingly excruciating pain, an MRS scan done after the French Open showed she had a stress fracture on the sacrum.
She spent two weeks in therapy on the Canary Islands.
"I was afraid I would no longer be able to play. Once you get into a situation like that, when your career is at stake, you change how you think," she recalls.
Hercog will have just days to savour her victory, as she is heading to the London Olympics on Wednesday as part of Slovenia's four-member tennis team.
Source: The Slovenia Times
