In a remarkable feat, 14-year-old British tennis sensation Hannah Klugman has etched her name in the annals of tennis history. Klugman recently became the youngest player to qualify for a W100 tournament on the ITF Tour and then proceeded to claim her first-round victory at the W100 Shrewsbury event.
In only her fourth professional singles appearance, Klugman displayed her prodigious talent by dispatching Czech opponent Aneta Laboutkova with a commanding score of 6-2, 6-1 in the opening qualifying match. Her impressive journey continued as she overcame the experienced Turkish player Pemra Ozgen with a score line of 6-4, 6-3, securing her place in the main draw.
Once in the main draw, Klugman showed no signs of slowing down, defeating fellow qualifier Gina Feistel, who holds the 622nd spot in the world rankings, with a score of 6-3, 7-5 in the first round.
This extraordinary accomplishment surpasses the previous record set by reigning US Open women’s singles champion Coco Gauff, who was the youngest player to qualify for a W100 tournament before advancing to the quarter-finals at W100 Charleston when she was just 15 years old in 2019.
At the age of 14 years, eight months, and four days, Klugman is now the third-youngest player to make it to the main draw of an ITF W100 tournament, with Radina Dimitrova (14 years, three months, and six days) and Viktoriya Tomova (14 years, six months, and 26 days) earning wild cards at W100 Sofia in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
In the next round of the women’s singles, Klugman will face off against fellow British player Lily Miyazaki, who holds the 163rd spot in the world rankings. Klugman’s rapid rise in the tennis world has already garnered significant attention and admiration, and her future in the sport looks incredibly promising. Her achievements serve as an inspiration to young athletes and a testament to the boundless potential in the world of professional tennis.
Hannah Klugman in 2023
LWLWLLWLWW Now the world no. (career-high), Klugman played her last match on the 17th of October when she overcame world no.622 Gina Feistel 6-3 7-5 in the 1st round of the W100 Shrewsbury (draw).
Until now, during this year Klugman owns a compiled 5-3 record.
Hannah Klugman |
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