Tennis: Another win for resurgent Erakovic

Marina Erakovic of New Zealand in action during her singles tennis match. Photo / Steven McNicholl

New Zealand tennis player Marina Erakovic has continued her resurgence by winning a Challenger tournament in the United States.

The Auckland 22-year-old turned aside Renata Voracova, of the Czech Republic, in three sets in the final of a US$25,000 ($32,600) International Tennis Federation (ITF) event at Pelham, Alabama, today.

Erakovic beat world tournament third seed and No 92 Voracova 6-4 2-6 6-1 to secure the ninth ITF circuit singles title of her career.

It maintained a purple patch for the Croatia-born Erakovic, who won a tournament at Irapato, Mexico last month to follow up a quarterfinals appearance at an event immediately preceding that.

The result will further improve her world ranking, which sat at 229th leading into the tournament.

Erakovic now heads to Jackson, Mississippi, for another US$25,000 starting tomorrow (NZT) where she is seeded 13th.

- NZPA