WTT Contender Lima 2023: Judith Morales wins WTT Series Women's Singles, 3-2

Posted : 02 August 2023

In a remarkable debut at the WTT Series, Judith Morales created an upset by defeating Sibel Altinkaya in the Women's Singles qualifying at WTT Contender Lima 2023. Backed by strong support from the Americas, the Chilean player secured a thrilling 3-2 victory (4-11, 13-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4).

Before this encounter, Altinkaya and Morales had not faced each other, and they brought similar match experience to the table, with both players having competed in just over 300 career matches. Altinkaya held 175 wins, while Morales had 153.

However, the stats didn't tell the full story, as the two players were separated by almost 300 spots in the World Rankings, with Altinkaya ranked World No. 85 and Morales at No. 382.

Although Morales started slow and dropped the first game, she gained momentum in the second with an early lead. From then on, the match turned into an intense battle on Table 2. Morales secured the next two games with her spin-loaded backhand openings, causing trouble for her opponent. Altinkaya fought back and took the fourth game, setting the stage for a deciding game.

The final game was closely contested, with the score tied at 4-4. However, Morales seized the advantage and dominated the match, winning seven consecutive points to seal her victory.

Expressing her joy, Morales said, "I feel very happy to have won against her. Yesterday I analyzed her games on YouTube videos. I was very calm. I had talked with my coach that I had to play my game. She is a player with a lot of attack, so I had to be calm and anticipate the third-balls. I’m very happy to have achieved this victory. It's my first WTT Contender, so I'm very happy."

With this win, Morales advances to round 3, where she will face Liu Hsing-Yin for a chance to secure a main draw ticket.

In the Men's Singles qualifying, the top-ranked player, Lubomir Pistej, suffered a straight-game defeat to Gaston Alto (11-8, 12-10, 11-8). Alto showcased a scintillating performance and outperformed Pistej, who was ranked more than 100 places ahead of him.

Alto's exceptional display led him to a victory with an impressive 83% win rate on serves. He will now face Fanbo Meng in the next qualifying round to determine who will advance to the main draw.

The Lima tournament has provided ample excitement for the Americas, with Gaston Alto's outstanding form adding to the thrill for the fans in attendance.

WTT Contender Lima 2023: Judith Morales wins WTT Series Women's Singles, 3-2

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