Luksika Kumkhum yesterday claimed her second WTA 125k title of the month after cruising past Sabine Lisicki in the Taipei OEC Open final at the Taipei Arena.
The Thai second seed, who had not dropped a set all week, made it a clean sweep with an emphatic 6-1, 6-3 victory in 50 minutes against the German world No. 262.
The world No. 81 took just 21 minutes to wrap up the first set and she did not take her foot off the gas.
Kumkhum did not face a single break point and converted four of eight, winning 57 of the 91 points contested.
The Thai added the Taipei 125k title to her 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback triumph over Irina Khromacheva of Russia at the Mumbai 125k tournament at the Cricket Club of India earlier this month in what has been a breakthrough season.
Kumkhum reached the third round of a Gram Slam for the first time at the Australian Open in January and reached her highest-ever ranking of No. 80 following the Mumbai win.
Kumkhum is a rarity in being only one of four openly gay players — all women — to have played a Grand Slam this year.
Gay Thais still struggle for acceptance, she told the Indian Express while in Mumbai, although that is changing.
“It’s still not like Taiwan, where you can marry and all, but people at home accept it a bit more. But there is still the old thinking,” the 25-year-old said. “I’m comfortable with this. There are so many people in the world who are gay, but you’re still a person. If I’m doing good, and I haven’t killed anyone, then it’s fine.”
In the doubles, Indian duo Ankita Raina and Karman Thandi claimed the title when Russian fourth seeds Olga Doroshina and Natela Dzalamidze retired with the score at 6-3, 5-7, 12-12.
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