Gabriela Knutson will never forget the week at The Campus: the 26-year-old Czech was outside the seeding list, but she outperformed all the competition and, this Sunday, became champion of The Campus Carby Volkswagen Ladies Open .
Experiencing her first full season as a professional tennis player, the tennis player born in Oaks, California (USA), where she lived until the age of 12, defeated the British Harriet Dart (145th WTA and former top 100) in the final by 6- 4 and 6-1 after just 81 minutes.
Knutson arrived at The Campus in the best ranking of his career (201st) and with his previous victories he had already secured a new high on Monday, but the victory in the final allowed him to go further and next week he will be ranked 177th. th position.
This Sunday's final pitted two players who were chasing the biggest title of their respective careers face to face. And it was Knutson, the less experienced of the two, who was under pressure in the initial moments. More nervous than in previous meetings, the Czech made two double faults in the opening game and six errors in the first six points won by Dart. But the British didn't know how to capitalize on her opponent's obvious nervous start and rushed into several decisions.
Much supported by the public who once again joined the occasion en masse, Dart even threatened a new break in the fifth game (he had three opportunities), but Knutson held on tooth and nail and from then on had the ascendancy on his side. The Czech came forward shortly afterwards and still trembled when she served to close the partial, but she returned to the attack in response and, with the first match sealed, the decision now had only one meaning.
Increasingly assertive and confident, the less experienced of the two players took the reins in the final and walked calmly to the fourth title of the year and of her career. The previous three had been in $25.000 tournaments and the most recent one was in Portugal, in Guimarães, so The Campus Carby Volkswagen Ladies Open, this year elevated to the $40.000 category, became the most important trophy on the CV.
«This is my biggest title so far and I am very, very happy. Especially because it's here, in this incredible place where I spent an excellent week. I'm really happy", Knutson began by saying after receiving the champion's trophy.
Asked about her nervousness in the opening minutes, the Czech explained that “I had already played in finals before, so it wasn't because of that, or even because of the public because I love playing in front of the public. It was because I felt I had a good opportunity and I wanted to take advantage of it. It was a nervousness caused by enthusiasm and as soon as I managed to channel my nerves to start fighting, it worked much better».
Gabriela Knutson was born in the US state of California and lived there until she was 12 years old. She later moved to Dvur Kralove nad Labem e Prostejov, in the Czech Republic, but returned to the United States of America half a dozen years later to attend the prestigious university circuit in that country.
With success on and off the court, he graduated in Television Journalism from Syracuse University, in the state of New York, and completed a master's degree in Marketing at Durham University, in England.
With these results, participation in the qualifying of the Australian Open was practically assured. And his debut in Grand Slam tournaments could have already happened at the US Open, as the United States Tennis Association offered him a wild card to the main frame. But the invitation was made on the condition that he would represent the country (he has dual nationality) and Czech pride spoke louder, preferring to reject it and “fight to enter the tournament on his own merit”.
The Campus has hosted an international men's tournament since 2018 and in 2022 it also started organizing an international women's tournament, ensuring the continuity of both events in 2024.
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