Both players had to frequently redo their ball tosses in perhaps the windiest final at the Canberra International.

I was photographing the match and it was even difficult to keep steady in the strong winds. Not only was it windy, it was extremely hot.

Garland was able to get one break in the first set to take that 6-4, In the second set the world no. 129 broke her opponent twice to claim the match 6-4, 6-2.

Kudermetova had a wonderful start to the 2025 season when she won seven matches in Brisbane after reaching the main draw as a qualifier, she would eventually lose in the final against Aryna Sabalenka.

The pushed Kudermetova up to no. 57 in the rankings. After losing the rankings points from that tournanment she is now ranked at no. 167.

With the title, Garland has moved to a career-high no. 117 on the live rankings.

Garland was on a roll after dropping her first set of the tournament in round one in the first set. After that she didn’t lose a set, and in today’s match, Garland was not broken on serve.

The player from Taipei collects $33,650 in prize money for her week in Canberra.

Tennis ACT’s athlete of the year, Ashleigh Simes presented the winner’s trophy.

During her speech in the presentation, Garland thanked her coach Tim for making the long trip to Australia and for the 10 years of work together.

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In doing so they have denied former world no. 2 singles player Vera Zvonareva a title at the age of 41.

Zvonareva was a last minute partner to Japan’s Ena Shibahara the former doubles world no. 4.

The Japanese/Russian combination took the first set in a tie-breaker after their opponents had opportunities to claim the opening set.

In the second set Zvonareva and Shibahara were close to claiming the title before a few errors proved to be costly.

Kozyreva, the world no. 67 and Shymanovich the world no. 75 played some key volleys to stay in the match, before securing the second set and then going to claim the title in the match tie-breaker.

It was the second straight final that Zvonareva had lost in doubles after going down in the W100 final in Dubai back in December. For that tournament she partnered with 17-year-old Rada Zolotareva from Russia.

In the opening set both teams broke twice before the tie-breaker decided the set.

In the second set Zvonareva and Shibahara were broken three times, their opponents just twice.

In the match tie-breaker it could have gone either way but in the end the Russian/Belorussian pairing held their nerve to claim the title.

It was the first time in Australia for Kozyreva.

Shymanovich had been the top seed in the women’s singles qualifying draw but lost her opening match.

Shibahara and Zvonareva had both lost in round two of qualifying before their success in the doubles draw.

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The world no. 149 was too good for the world no. 88 who had come off a gruelling two hour and 50 minute win against Darja Vidmanova.

Snigur had an easier time in her round two match, which she won in one hour and 12 minutes.

Going into this match Snigur and Waltert were 3-3 on the head-to-head. Waltert defeated Snigur in round 1 at the 2025 US Open qualifying however Snigur had actually twice defeated Waltert in Canberra back in 2023 and 2024.

Snigur meets Joanna Garland in the semifinals after the player from Chinese Taipei defeated former world no. 22 Tamara Zidansek, the final score was 6-2, 6-4. Zidansek is currently ranked at no. 156.

The other semifinal sees no. 3 seed Polina Kudermetova of Uzbekistan against Japan’s qualifier Himeno Sakatsume.

Kudermetova easily accounted for China’s Yuan Yue, taking the match 6-1, 6-0. Sakatsume had to fight back from a set down against Georgia’s Ekaterine Gorgodze. That match was won 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.

Sakatsume will be looking to keep the title in Japanese hands after countrywoman Aoi Ito won in 2025.

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McCabe took the match 7-6(3), 7-6(8).

The Estonian was serving for the first set at 5-3 but found himself at 0-40. A forehand hit wide conceded the game and McCabe would serve to level the set a 5-5. The set was then won in a tiebreak by McCabe.

Games went with serve in the second set, and at 3-4 with Lajal there was a short rain delay despite the sun shining. Rain had blown across from nearby clouds.

After play resumed it was more of the same, neither player was broken, so the set again went to a breaker. McCabe did have a match point in the 12th game after a Lajal shot clipped the net and went wide.

McCabe had advantage but a forehand winner from the Estonian saved the match point.

A double-fault gave McCabe a second look at match point, however the Australian hit a shot into the net to let that slip.

A missed overhead, and then an Ace took the second set to the tie-breaker.

McCabe got the first mini-break after Lajal hit just long at 1-1. McCabe followed suit and also hit long, it was 2-2.

The Australian backed that up with a good wide serve and then a down the line winner for 3-2.

The Estonian served and volleyed, and look to have made the right play, he did however bounce a volley too much into the court and it sat up for McCabe to run and hit a passing shot for 4-2.

A mishit forehand from Lajal and it looked likely that McCabe would take the match as he jumped out to 5-2 with two serves on his racquet.

Lajal hit a return into the net and McCabe had four match points at 6-2. A forehand hit long by McCabe kept his opponent in the match.

McCabe would hit a shot into the net to see Lajal serving at 4-6. A deep shot setup a volley winner. It was now 6-5 with McCabe again serving to close out the match. Another unforced error from the Australian and it was suddenly 6-6.

McCabe served and volleyed to force an error, so it was another match point at 7-6. A great volley from the Estonian forced an error from McCabe and it was now 7-7.

An inside-out forehand from Lajal sent McCabe chasing the ball, he wasn’t about to get it back over the net and suddenly Lajal found himself with a set point, but it was on McCabe’s serve.

After some big hitting by both players it was Lajal that cracked, sending a shot just long.

An Ace down the T from McCabe gave him yet another match point. This time at 9-8 it was Lajal that sent a forehand well wide to give McCabe the victory.

McCabe faces British qualifier Jack Pinnington Jones in the second round.

Pinnington Jones had ended the chance of Australia’s Marc Polmans to earn a main draw spot when the Brit saved some match points before taking victory 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(8) in their round two qualifying match.

After earning a main draw spot, Pinnington Jones defeated Brandon Holt to advance to face McCabe.

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She faced Czechia’s Dominika Salkova, the world no. 146. Waltert came from a set down to win 6-7(2), 7-6(0), 6-2 in two hours and 46 minutes.

The Austrian said she was happy to get the win as it was her first match on hard courts since the US Open qualifying where she lost in Q2.

Following some good results on clay, Waltert is now ranked at no. 88.

Salkova, the world no. 142 played a solid match but faded under the hot Australia sun.

After the match Waltert was asked about the match, she said her aim was just to hit the ball inside the white lines.

The Austrian will next face the winner of the match between Marina Stakusic and Darja Vidmanova.

Second seed Moyuka Uchijima from Japan won her opening round match against USA’s Madison Brengle 6-4, 6-4.

Uchujima has been a winner in Canberra back in March 2022 when she won the W60 Clay Court International.

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Marc Polmans got the better of Alex Bolt, winning 7-6(4), 7-5.

World no. 396 Polmans needed a wildcard just to play in the qualifying event. Bolt at no. 171 was looking to get 2026 off to a good start and work his way up the rankings.

Both players have played in Canberra several times and have ambitions to crack the top-100 for the first time. Polmans has a career-high of no. 116 back in 2020. Bolt reached no. `25 in 2019.

The players are experienced at Grand Slam level with Polmans having reached the second round at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Bolt reached the third round at the 2019 Australian Open.

The two Australians went into the match with a 4-2 head to head from qualifying, Challenger and Future matches, with Bolt on four wins.

After no breaks of serve, the first set was decided in a tie-breaker, with Polmans falling behind early.

Bolt went from 2-0, to 2-2 after he hit long. The players changed ends at 3-3.

At 4-4 Bolt served and then charged the net only to push an easy volley wide. Polmans took advantage of the mini-break and served out the breaker with a Bolt unforced error handing the set to Polmans.

Polmans saved a break point in the third game after Bolt hit a retrieved drop shot into the net.

Back to back unforced errors from Bolt saw Polmans with a break point in the fourth game. Polmans converted after Bolt smashed just wide.

Polmans would consolidate the break to lead 4-1. Bolt at this stage was missing a lot of returns.

Bolt saved two match points from 15-40 in the 8th game, with Polmans hitting a forehand wide from a second serve, that was followed by an Ace.

28-year-old Polmans was at 30-0 when serving for the match at 5-3. He hit just wide to see Bolt get to 30-15, it was 30-30 after a Bolt volley winner.

Bolt earned a break-back point after Polmans hit long. The game being conceded after another shot from Polmans that just went long.

With games back on serve Bolt held to love to level the match at 5-5, an Ace sealing that game.

Polmans held comfortably to move to 6-5.

A volley winner from Polmans saw him go to 0-15, a missed shot from Bolt and the 32-year-old was under pressure. A shot sent wide by Bolt saw his opponent with three match points at 0-40. An Ace saved one.

A good wide serve saved another before Bolt hit long to concede the match.

It wasn’t an ideal outcome for Bolt who turns 33 on 5 January.

Polmans advanced to face Britain’s Jack Pinnington Jones, Pinnington Jones came back from losing his first set to Belgium’s Gilles Arnaud Bailly 6-0.

In other matches involving Australian men, Pavle Marinkov lost to Spain’s Rafael Jodar, 6-4, 6-3. Daniel Jovanovksi lost to Britain’s Arthur Fery 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. Finally it was Ymerali Ibraimi that lost to USA’s Martin Damm 7-5, 6-4.

In women’s qualifying four Australian women all lost. Renee Alam lost to Romania’s Miriam Bulgaru 6-1, 6-4. Stefani Webb lost to Japan’s Ena Shibahara 7-6(5), 6-1. Giselle Isabell Guillen lost to Elena Pridankina 6-3, 6-2 and Sarah Rokusek lost to Anouk Kovermans from Holland, the score was 6-0, 6-1.

On Monday round two of qualifying continues, along with round 1 action in the main draw.

James McCabe is scheduled to play on centre court against Mark Lajal, that match is followed by Tina Smith taking on Lanlana Tararudee.

Edward Winter will play Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro on court 4.

To view more photos from the Workday Canberra International visit Robicia Tennis Photography.

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