Justina crowned singles champion at Tumakuru Open ITF W35

Top seed Justina Mikulskyte was crowned champion after second seed Zuzanna Pawlikowska was forced to retire due to injury in the singles final of the ITF W35 Tumakuru Open tournament here on Sunday.

Pawlikowska, who had already withdrawn from the doubles final on Saturday owing to a shoulder injury, showed tremendous courage by taking the court for the title clash despite discomfort at the Tumakuru District Tennis Association courts.

However, after the opening game, the Polish player was unable to continue, leading to a premature end to the summit clash and disappointment for the large gathering of spectators who had turned up expecting a thrilling finale between the top two seeds.

The title marked the eighth ITF singles crown for Mikulskyte, who added another milestone to an impressive season on the international circuit. Along with the trophy, the Lithuanian pocketed a winner’s cheque of USD 4,860 and earned 35 valuable WTA ranking points.

Pawlikowska, meanwhile, received USD 2,637 and 23 WTA points for finishing runner-up.