Winner's Circle: Bertens goes back-to-back in St. Petersburg

In this edition, we shall follow Kiki Bertens journey as she becomes the first player to successfully defend her title at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy.

After losing to the resurgent Garbine Muguruza at the Australian Open, Bertens would represent Netherlands at the Fed Cup Qualifiers. She would win both singles rubbers against Belarus, and entered St. Petersburg as the second seed and defending champion.

The Dutchwoman received a bye in the first round before dispatching of Veronika Kudermetova 6-1 6-2 in the second round. The quarterfinals saw top seeded Belinda Bencic upset by sixth seed Maria Sakkari, while third seed Petra Kvitova retired due to an illness. With some higher seeds falling, Bertens would overcome Anastasia Potapova 6-4 7-6(3) in her quarterfinal match to advance to the final four.

The semifinals featured some enticing matchups, as Bertens faced in-form Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova for the first time on the WTA Tour. Although Alexandrova had the crowd on her side, she was unable to overcome Bertens experience. The Dutchwoman prevailed 6-1 4-6 6-1 in an hour and 41 minutes to secure her spot in the final for the second consecutive year.

The second semifinal saw Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina upset Maria Sakkari in three sets to book her spot in the final. This would be the second meeting between Bertens and her Kazakh opponent, as the Dutchwoman previously triumphed in their 2019 semifinal encounter at 'S-Hertogenbosch.

It was a dominant showing for Bertens, as she hit 22 winners and six aces to seal a 6-1 6-3 victory. After successfully defending her title, an emotional Bertens was in tears as she claimed her 10th career WTA title. Furthermore, this triumph ensured she would retain her No.8 position on the WTA rankings.