Women’s Kinetic Challenger: Stefanoni Wins On First Outing Of 2022

Home favourite and top seed Marina Stefanoni claimed victory on her first outing of the year, with a commanding performance at the Women’s Kinetic 3k Challenger in Boynton Beach, Florida.

The American came in as the tournament’s top seed and was able to go through the entire competition without dropping a single game, as she went on to win her fifth Tour title, and first since 2019.

Stefanoni started off her week with an 18-minute victory over compatriot Arisha Khan, before she then defeated Canada’s Hannah Blatt, the No.7 seed, also inside the 20-minute mark.

The 19-year-old then came up against another fellow American in the semi-finals, taking out the unseeded Caroline Fouts in a tough three-game battle, which saw Stefanoni come through the third in a tie-break 12-10.

That put her through to the final, where Stefanoni came up against India’s Akanksha Salunkhe, who was coming off the back of her maiden Tour victory in Guatemala a week earlier. It would be the American who would take the win on home soil, though, after a crucial first game which she took on a tie-break.

Results: Women’s Kinetic 3k Challenger
Final
[1] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt [6] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) 3-0: 13-11, 11-7, 11-6 (29m)

Semi-Finals
[1] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Caroline Fouts (USA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-7, 12-10 (35m)
[6] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) bt [5] Laura Tovar (COL) 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-3 (25m)

Quarter Finals
[1] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt [7] Hannah Blatt (CAN) 3-0: 11-5, 11-3, 11-5 (20m)
Caroline Fouts (USA) bt [3] Wen Li Lai (MAS) 3-1: 8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (49m)
[5] Laura Tovar (COL) bt Maria Moya (ECU) 3-0: 11-3, 11-8, 11-7 (28m)
[6] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) bt [2] Diana Garcia (MEX) 3-1: 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5 (37m)

Round One
[1] Marina Stefanoni (USA) bt Arisha Khan (USA) 3-0: 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 (18m)
[7] Hannah Blatt (CAN) bt [WC] Anna Shumway (USA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 (25m)
Caroline Fouts (USA) bt [8] Vanessa Raj (MAS) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 3-0 rtd (16m)
[3] Wen Li Lai (MAS) bt Sara Khan (CAN) 3-0: 11-1, 11-4, 11-6 (14m)
Maria Moya (ECU) bt [4] Alex Haydon (AUS) 3-0: 13-11, 11-6, 13-11 (32m)
[5] Laura Tovar (COL) bt Aileen Dominguez (MEX) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 (19m)
[6] Akanksha Salunkhe (IND) bt Raya Singh (CAN) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-2 (17m)
[2] Diana Garcia (MEX) bt Latifa Elbakly (EGY) 3-0: 0-0 rtd