Britain's Francesca Jones successfully defended her Palermo Ladies Open crown on Sunday, outlasting France's Fiona Ferro 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(6) in a pulsating two-hour-43-minute final at the Country Time Club.
The top seed, ranked No.113 in the world, stormed through the opening set in just 21 minutes, dropping only one point on her serve and breaking Ferro three times to bagel the seventh seed. It was a statement start from the 25-year-old Briton, who had arrived in Sicily on the back of her ATV Rome Open triumph just eight days earlier.
Ferro, the 2020 Palermo champion, refused to fold. The Frenchwoman lifted her level dramatically in the second set, finding range on her groundstrokes and breaking Jones in the second game to build a 3-0 lead. Jones fought back to lead 4-3, but Ferro reeled off three consecutive games to level the match at one set apiece.
The decider swung both ways under the heavy Sicilian humidity. With fatigue setting in, errors mounted and the tension climbed with every game. A wayward wind swept across the Country Time Club court in the 12th game, adding to the drama.
In the decisive tiebreak, Ferro held a match point at 6-5 but could not convert. Jones kept her composure, punishing a netted Ferro forehand before clinching victory on her first match point when the Frenchwoman drove a backhand long.
"It was a close match until the end, and we did everything we could," said Jones, who beat Anouk Koevermans to win the title in 2025. "We both deserved to win."
The victory marks Jones's fourth career Challenger title and her second in consecutive weeks, having claimed the ATV Rome Open on clay last weekend. She rises from No.113 to No.110 in the WTA rankings when they update on Monday.
Jones becomes only the fifth player in the history of the Palermo Ladies Open to win back-to-back titles, joining an exclusive group that includes former champions who have left their mark on the tournament.
Sources
- https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/ce854gn9zvqo
- https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2026/07/26/wta-palermo-finale-epica-al-country-jones-centra-la-doppietta-sconfiggendo-ferro-nel-tiebreak-decisivo/
