HP OPEN
Osaka, Japan
October 8-14, 2012
$220,000/International
Hard/Outdoors
Results – Sunday, October 14, 2012
Singles – Final
Heather Watson (GBR) d. Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) 75 57 76(4) (saved 4mp)
Doubles – Final
(1) Kops-Jones/Spears (USA/USA) d. (4) Date-Krumm/Watson (JPN/GBR) 61 64
Final Facts
– In winning her first WTA title, Watson becomes the first Brit to capture a WTA title since Sara Gomer at Aptos in 1988 just three weeks after Laura Robson became the first British finalist since Jo Durie at Newport in 1990.
– Watson rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the third set, with the four match points against her coming at 5-4.
– Both Watson and Chang won 129 points in the final, which lasted three hours, 11 minutes.
– Chang beat three seeds en route to the final, including No.1 seed and World No.9 Samantha Stosur in the semifinals – her third career Top 10 win.
– Neither finalist had been beyond a WTA quarterfinal prior to Osaka.
– This was the eighth final this year in which both players were unseeded after Brisbane, Bogotá, Monterrey, Fès, Bastad, Tashkent and Guangzhou.
– Kops-Jones and Spears win their sixth WTA doubles title as a duo and fourth this year. It was Kops-Jones’ eighth WTA doubles title and Spears’ 10th.
– Kops-Jones and Spears did not lose more than four games in a set all week.
Final Quotes
Heather Watson: “I was already thinking about how I was going to cry in the locker room. But after I saved the first one, I just took it point by point. I’m really proud of myself for getting through that.”
“I’ve worked so hard for this moment my whole career – that’s why I practiced so hard, ran all those miles and lifted all those weights, for moments like this.”
“Britain has been breaking quite a few records recently, so I’m happy I could break another one today. I’m proud to do this for my country.”
Topics: Chang Kai-Chen, Heather Watson, HP Open, Japan tennis news, Kops-Jones, Osaka tennis news, Spears