GRANBY, Canada – Former UCLA tennis player Jennifer Brady won her second Challenger title of 2016 when she downed Olga Govortsova of Belarus in the championship match of the Challenger Banque Nationale de Granby on Sunday.
Brady broke first to take a 3-1 lead in the first set. Rain then sent both players to the locker room for a short recess. After the rain delay, Brady picked up where she left off, taking a 5-2 advantage. Govortsova then erased the three-point deficit to knot the match at 5-5. Despite the late rally, Brady held Govortsova at bay to win the set 7-5.
Carrying this momentum into the second set, the former Bruin coasted to a 6-2 victory over the Belarusian.
"It was not easy to stay focused because of the rain, but I'm glad I stayed strong mentally," said Brady of the win. "It was a great week. This title comes at a good time and certainly gives me a lot of confidence for the U.S. Open."
En route to the title, Brady posted four straight-set wins including that over Govortsova. In the quarterfinals, she edged Belgium's Greet Minnen in a third set tiebreaker, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2).
Earlier this year, Brady won the 11th Annual Revolution Technologies Pro Tennis Classic in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. She took down fellow American Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 7-5, in the championship match.
Brady broke first to take a 3-1 lead in the first set. Rain then sent both players to the locker room for a short recess. After the rain delay, Brady picked up where she left off, taking a 5-2 advantage. Govortsova then erased the three-point deficit to knot the match at 5-5. Despite the late rally, Brady held Govortsova at bay to win the set 7-5.
Carrying this momentum into the second set, the former Bruin coasted to a 6-2 victory over the Belarusian.
"It was not easy to stay focused because of the rain, but I'm glad I stayed strong mentally," said Brady of the win. "It was a great week. This title comes at a good time and certainly gives me a lot of confidence for the U.S. Open."
En route to the title, Brady posted four straight-set wins including that over Govortsova. In the quarterfinals, she edged Belgium's Greet Minnen in a third set tiebreaker, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2).
Earlier this year, Brady won the 11th Annual Revolution Technologies Pro Tennis Classic in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla. She took down fellow American Taylor Townsend, 6-3, 7-5, in the championship match.