Marie Bouzkova wins Shipyard Cup ITF Women's $10,000 tournament

While no seeded players reached the final at The Shipyard Cup ITF Women's $10,000 tournament, it wouldn't be a stretch to say the two players with the brightest futures graced Court 12 on Sunday at Van Der Meer Shipyard Tennis Resort.

Marie Bouzkova defeated Natalia Vikhlyantseva 7-5, 6-1 in a somewhat anti-climatic championship match on an unseasonably cool morning.

Bouzkova, the 16-year-old from the Czech Republic who won this year's U.S. Open Junior Girls singles title, won a hard-fought first set before dominating the obviously tired Vikhlyantseva in the second set.

The win is Bouzkova's first in the main draw of a professional tournament.

Bouzkova came in playing well. After winning at Flushing Meadows, her first two tournaments have been the ITF Women's $10,000 events in Amelia Island, Fla., and on Hilton Head Island. She knocked off the second seed at Amelia Island and reached the semifinals before winning this week.

"It's incredible. Now I'm on a roll," Bouzkova said. "I won the U.S. Open and I came to these two tournaments in Amelia Island and here in Hilton Head. It's my first ever title on the pro side and it's exciting for me."

Vikhlyantseva, the 17-year-old qualifier from Russia, was up 5-4 in the first set. But she dropped three straight games to lose the first set, then the first two games of the second set before she called for the trainer to attend to her ailing right shoulder.

"I think I was a little bit tired," Vikhlyantseva said. "And I didn't show my best tennis today. Also, my shoulder is a little but sore."

After the medical time-out, it appeared Vikhlyantseva, a self-admitted slow-starter, might get back in the match. Bouzkova made some uncharacteristic mistakes and Vikhlyantseva won the next game.

But the rally was short-lived and Bouzkova won four straight games to close out the victory.

"I knew she played very flat and hard balls," Bouzkova said, "so I was preparing to run a lot and get all my backhand balls in and, of course, be aggressive as well."

Vikhlyantseva did not resemble the player that knocked off top-seeded Chanel Simmonds on her way to the final. It's quite possible fatigue had something to do with that.

As a qualifier, Vikhlyantseva first took the court last Sunday and played eight matches in eight days, three more matches than Bouzkova.

"Here, every match is tough, even the qualifiers," Bouzkova said. "But of course, you know, that's the game. We all have good physical skills."

As a result, Vikhlyantseva was undecided if she would rest or play in the upcoming ITF Women's $25,000 event, the McLeod Health Florence Open in Florence.

For Bouzkova, who will play in Florence, the win wasn't just important because it was her first. It was a boost in her confidence in her ability to play on clay, as opposed to hard courts, her favorite surface.

"Just playing on the clay has been a bit difficult for me, but I tried to do my best," Bouzkova said. "It gave me confidence that I can play on both surfaces. So I am looking forward to my next tournament on clay. I certainly won't be afraid."

This story was originally published October 5, 2014 at 5:52 PM with the headline "Marie Bouzkova wins Shipyard Cup ITF Women's $10,000 tournament."