A precocious 17-year-old Munich schoolgirl stands between Yvonne Doyle and the ITF's $10,000 Irish women's title at Glasnevin today.
Claudia Kuleszka is the player to beat if the Dubliner is to become the first Irish woman in an age to keep the title at home. Doyle was never seen in better form as she clinched today's final spot from the number three seeded position by crushing the challenge of second seeded American Teryn Ashley in a little over the hour, 6-4 6-2.
Doyle's deep pounding forehands had Ashley on the back foot most of the time. The Dubliner's pace, depth and direction along with a solid service game proved too much to handle for the American who was broken three times in a rain-interrupted match.
Doyle's 16 second set clear winners against seven for Ashley told its own story and the Irish woman also displayed a better facility to dig her way out of break point trouble. "Holding serve was the big difference," summed up Ashley.
"I hope to be in the top 100 within a couple of years," Kuleszka said, "but first I must finish school".
The Glasnevin club can always claim that it provided the talented German, laden with promise, with her first opportunity to pick up WTA world ranking points.
Singles (semi-finals): Y Doyle bt T Ashley (US) 6-4 6-2; C Kuleszka (GER) bt S Jolk (GER) 6-1 6-2.
Doubles (semi-finals): B Calderwood and E Hewsson (AUS) bt A Hermansen (DEN) and J Lindstrom (SWE) 6-1 7-5; Doyle and Nugent bt L Akkerman(NED) and E Erbova (CZE) 6-3 6-2.
