Brady preps for US Open by winning 1st tour title

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Wearing a pandemic-appropriate mask, Jennifer Brady walked over to accept the first WTA trophy of her career, making sure to apply hand sanitizer before raising the new hardware overhead.

Brady claimed her initial tour-level title at the Top Seed Open on Sunday, overcoming shaky serving and using a five-game run to seize control for a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Jil Teichmann.

It was the first women’s- or men’sonly professional tennis event in the United States since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, and no spectators were allowed.

“It didn’t take away anything. It didn’t take away (from) the win for me,” said the 25-year-old American, who is based in Florida and began the week ranked 49th. “I was just super happy to stand there with the trophy.”

She did not drop a set throughout the hardcourt tournament and ceded only 24 games in all. It was a perfect way to prepare for the U.S. Open, which begins Aug. 31 in New York.

Brady, who began the season needing to qualify to get into WTA Tour events, now is in line to be seeded for the Open.

“Definitely would not have expected that if you told me that earlier this year – or that I would win a WTA title,” said Brady, who was appearing in her first final after defeating 16-year-old U.S. sensation Coco Gauff in the semifinals.

• Prague Open: Top-seeded Simona Halep defeated third-seeded Elise Mertens 6-2, 7-5 in the final Sunday to claim her 21st WTA title.

The second-ranked Romanian broke Mertens for a 6-5 lead in the final set before converting her first match point to win her second title this year after the Dubai Championships in February.

Before the Wimbledon champion recovered from a foot injury she suffered in Dubai, the coronavirus pandemic forced a five-month break.

“It was really tough to get back,” Halep said. “I’m happy to be back on tour with a victory.”

The title on clay was the eighth for Halep and her first since she won the 2018 French Open. Among active players, only Serena Williams with 13 and

Jennifer Brady defeated Jil Belen Teichmann in the final Sunday in the WTA tournament.

her sister Venus with nine have won more titles on clay.

After the final, Halep said she would decide Monday if she is ready to play at the U.S. Open.

• Positive test: Kei Nishikori, the 2014 U.S. Open men’s singles runnerup, tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and said he will pull out of the tuneup tournament at Flushing Meadows that starts next week.

He posted what he called “some unfortunate news” on his mobile app.

While he is withdrawing from the Western & Southern Open – a hardcourt event usually held in Cincinnati but moved this year to the U.S. Open site in New York because of the pandemic – he did not say what his plans are for the Grand Slam tournament.

The 30-year-old from Japan said he is in Florida, where he is based, and had planned to fly to New York on Monday. But that plan was scrapped.

He will offer an update on his status Friday.

“I am feeling well and have very little symptoms but will obviously be in complete isolation for the safety of everyone,” Nishikori said.

He has been ranked as high as No. 4 and is currently No. 31, which puts him in line to be seeded for the U.S. Open.

Nishikori lost in the 2014 final to Marin Cilic and was also a semifinalist in New York in 2016 and 2018.