Third seed and home favorite Mikhail Youzhny beat Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-4 in a see-saw Kremlin Cup final on Sunday to win his fifth ATP title.
Earlier, eighth-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone eased to her second career crown with a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of Belarusian Olga Govortsova in the women’s final.
Youzhny’s triumph extended the Russian men’s winning streak at the annual indoor tournament, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, to six consecutive years.
PHOTO: AFP
After losing a tight first set in the tie-break 7-5, Youzhny reeled off eight consecutive games to even the match and take a 2-0 lead in the decider.
Tipsarevic, playing in his first ATP Tour final, saved four match points in the ninth game, but the world No. 30 sealed his first Moscow crown and his first title since January last year at his next opportunity in the following game.
“Playing at home, in front of my family and friends, definitely put extra pressure on me, but it made my victory taste even sweeter,” the 27-year-old Muscovite told a news conference. “Finally, after 11 attempts, I was able to win in Moscow. I got a lucky draw this time, but I had to work hard to earn it.”
PHOTO: REUTERS
The women’s final was a lop-sided affair as Govortsova was hampered by a painful rib injury.
“I had trouble with my serve because of the injury, but in all honesty, it wasn’t the main reason I lost today,” the 67th-ranked Belarusian told a news conference. “She forced me to run a lot in the first set and I was very tired in the second.”
Schiavone, who had lost 10 of her 11 previous finals, including the Moscow showpiece against France’s Mary Pierce in 2005, said she was tense on Sunday.
“Usually I feel nervous before matches, but today was the final so I felt it even more,” said the 29-year-old, whose only other title came in Austria in 2007. “The key for me was to stay ahead in the first set, at 3-2 then 4-3. That helped me settle down, so the second was easy.”
■STOCKHOLM OPEN
AFP, STOCKHOLM
Marcos Baghdatis broke through for his third career ATP title on Sunday with a 6-1, 7-5 defeat of Olivier Rochus to lift the Stockholm Open crown, success that the Cypriot hopes will kick-start his next season.
There will be little time to rest, however, for the world No. 66, who claimed his first trophy since Zagreb in February 2007.
After a few days at home on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus next week, the 2006 Australian Open finalist will wrap up his season with a Challenger in South Korea.
Baghdatis solidified his rebuilding campaign after injury in fine style on Sunday as he ended the final with his 15th ace against Belgium’s Rochus, who said he never expected to get this far this week.
“Marcos played just great, but I surprised myself also,” said the finalist, “coached” this week by his Swedish girlfriend.
Baghdatis broke Rochus five times, the last in the penultimate game, before finishing on his first match point with a concluding untouchable serve.
“I’m physically fine, but not at 100 percent,” Baghdatis said. “I want to spend two or three days at home with my brothers and family, and then go to South Korea and end this season.”
■LUXEMBOURG OPEN
AFP, LUXEMBOURG
Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky lifted her first WTA title on Sunday as she beat Germany’s Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 7-5 in the Luxembourg Open final.
The 20-year-old — ranked 70th in the world — took full advantage of the early exits of Belgian US Open champion Kim Clijsters and the other highly-favored Danish player Caroline Wozniacki.
Bacsinsky, whose previous best performance was reaching the last 32 of last year’s US Open, was very humble after the win.
“I will never be Martina Hingis or Roger Federer, I know that,” the winner said. “What really is important to me is to have fun out on the court and not to have regrets at the end of my career.”
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