Lexus British Pro Series Birmingham winners crowned as Malygina claims singles title and Lee and Wong seal doubles win

Malygina’s perfect week included the defeat of three seeded players, beginning with second seed Valentina Ryser in round one, before downing Italian sixth seed Francesca Pace in the semi-final to set up a final with number one seed Noma Noha Akugue of Germany, who defeated home favourites Emily Appleton (7-5 4-6 6-2) and Amelia Rajecki (7-5 6-1) in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively to seal her finals berth.

In a closely fought decider, a singular break of serve allowed Malygina to claim the first set, and despite Akugue fighting back early in the second with a break of her own to lead 3-1, Malygina switched up the tempo to win the next four games in a row. Akugue managed to halt the run and force Malygina to serve for the title, and nearly broke the Estonian twice, however, Malygina was not to be denied, and after saving two break points, she eventually served out the game to win 6-4 6-4.

After the match, Malygina said, "It’s my first 35k title. I’ve tried to change my game and now I’m seeing the results and seeing that I’m becoming stronger, faster, and smarter, so this win means a lot."  

In the doubles, number one seeds Ya-Hsin Lee of Chinese Taipei and Hong Yi Cody Wong of Hong Kong lived up to their billing as the pair to beat, as they sealed their first doubles title together since August 2024. After lengthy battles in the opening round that needed match tiebreaks to decide the winners, their semi-finals and final performances were far more comprehensive, winning both in straight sets, and defeating finals opponents Stephanie Visscher and singles finalist Akugue – the number three seeds – 6-1 6-3 in just 58 minutes.

Ya-Hsin Lee and Hong Yi Cody Wong claimed their first doubles title as a pair since 2024.

International tournaments such as the Lexus British Pro Series Birmingham are part of the LTA’s Performance Competitions Calendar (PCC) which provides significantly enhanced opportunities for British players at each age and stage of the performance player pathway on home soil. The calendar is designed to provide comprehensive opportunities for British players to play, earn ranking points and win prize money at home, throughout the year.

International tennis heads south to Yorkshire this week, as the men and women compete at the Lexus British Pro Series Sheffield, a combined ITF W35/M25 event.