The Baseline Player of the Week: Daria Gavrilova

Every week Baseline will select a “Player of the Week.” That athlete may not always win the highest category tournament that week, but perform the best compared to their recent playing history.

Inevitably, it would have been easy for many to look ahead to the US Open while tour-level events in New Haven and Winston Salem were going on last week. But for Australian Daria Gavrilova, the Connecticut Open could have been just what she needed to spark a breakthrough at the final Grand Slam of the season.

The 23-year-old escaped a thrilling three-setter in the first round over Kristyna Pliskova and never looked back, beating Top 15 players in the semifinals and final to clinch her first title. It’s safe to say that she was happy about it.

Gavrilova had plenty of reason to be excited, coming back from a set down to defeat Dominika Cibulkova, in the final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“It’s even more special to win it that way, against such a tough competitor,” Gavrilova said. “I think I’ve beaten some great players to win my first title.”

It wasn’t the first time that Gavrilova had an opportunity to capture her first trophy, either. Earlier this season, she lost to compatriot Sam Stosur in the Strasbourg final after being up a set, with the Australian No. 1 ranking also on the line.

This time around, Gavrilova executed under the pressure, stepping in and lacing a forehand winner on match point deep in the third set.

Beating Cibulkova will always be a career highlight, but her second Top 10 win of the season over Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-4, 6-4, in the semifinals was not too shabby, either.

The only down part of the week for Gavrilova was at the beginning of the tournament, when she missed the solar eclipse because she was busy winning.

Could eclipsing her career-best Slam appearance of the fourth round be next for the world No. 26?