Lehnert snares Egypt pro crown

FIL-GERMAN Katharina Lehnert INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

PHILIPPINE tennis poster girl Katharina Lehnert bundled out high-seeded foes to capture her first women’s pro title in three years last week in Egypt.

The 20-year-old Lehnert, who represented the country in the Incheon Asian Games last year, outlasted sixth seed Eva Wacanno of the Netherlands, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in the finals of the $10,000 Sharm El Sheikh Egypt F1 last Jan. 18.

It was a fitting finish for the Fil-German beauty who toppled No. 1 pick Aleksandrina Naydenova of Bulgaria (6-2, 5-7, 6-3) in the quarterfinals.
Lehnert got going with a 6-0, 6-0 rout of Natalia Pishchaeva of Russia in the first round then downed fifth seed Emma Flood of Norway, 6-3, 6-4. She ousted seventh seed Francesca Stephanson of Great Britain, 7-5, 7-6 (3), in the semifinals.

Lehnert is expected to boost her singles ranking, which dipped from 389th in 2013 to 690th last year.

She won her first pro circuit tourney in 2012, a similar level event in Braunschweig, Germany.

Lehnert also reached the quarters of the Egypt F2 Sunday where Naydenova got back at her, 6-4, 7-5.

She will see action in the Singapore Southeast Asian Games in June.  Marc Anthony Reyes