Kontaveit joins Seles and Graff in record books

Anett Kontaveit has extended her indoor win streak to 20 matches after triumphing at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy equaling some records.

Anett Kontaveit secured her 4th consecutive indoor trophy by defeating Maria Sakkar in the St. Petersburg final. The endeavour took nearly three hours and saw Kontaveit battle back from several deficits including a 5-3 deficit in the final set. The win also extended her 20-match indoor winning streak that began last year in Ostrava and continue through Moscow and Cluj-Napoca.

Kontaveit has now become just the sixth female player to earn at least 20 consecutive indoor wins since 1989, and the last to do so in over a decade. Justine Henin was the last to achieve the feat, winning 22 indoor matches in a row between Stuttgart 2007 and Stuttgart 2010. Jana Novotna racked up 21 indoor wins between Leipzig 1994 and Virginia Slims Championships 1994, while Lindsay Davenport also managed 22 indoor wins between Tokyo 2001 and Moscow 2002.

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Monica Seles achieved 32 indoor wins between Philadelphia 1991 and Paris 1993, while Steffi Graf holds the record with 43 indoor wins between Washington DC 1989 and Virginia Slims Championships 1990. Kontaveit was asked after her win what works so well for her indoors and she just said:

“Yeah, I’m not sure what to say about that. I like to hit the ball. Indoors there’s no wind, there’s no sun, there’s nothing that’s affecting you. But I think that would also help everyone else. So I don’t know. I don’t know what it is. I can’t really put my finger on it.”