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Jankovic triumphs at Kremlin Cup

Top-ranked Jelena Jankovic beat Russia’s Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-4 yesterday to win the Kremlin Cup and her third straight title in as many weeks.

The 23-year-old Serb was coming off back-to-back titles at the China Open and the Porsche Grand Prix in Germany.

It was her fourth title this season and the eighth in her career.

She was also runner-up twice this season, losing to Serena Williams in Miami and at the US Open.

Ninth-ranked Zvonareva could not challenge Jankovic in the first set and was broken twice.

After trading service breaks early in the second, Jankovic took a 3-2 lead with a break in the fifth game, but Zvonareva leveled at 4-4 only to be broken again in the ninth game.

Jankovic served and closed the match on her first match point when Zvonareva returned long.

Jankovic said she is committed to playing in Zurich next week, but will then take two weeks off to prepare for the season-ending tournament in Doha.

Jankovic, who was on the top of the WTA Tour rankings for a week in August, took the top ranking from Serena Williams last Monday and will retain it this week because Williams, the runner-up in Moscow last year, pulled out with an injury.


■ AUSTRIAN OPEN

AFP, VIENNA

German qualifier Philipp Petzschner stunned eighth seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4 to win the Austrian Open yesterday, the first qualifier to win the event since Belgian Filip Dewulf defeated Thomas Muster in 1995.

He is also just the third qualifier to win a title this year, following Japan’s Kei Nishikori at Delray Beach and Frenchman Gilles Simon in Casablanca.

Monfils serve was not working as well as it had throughout the week and he was clearly distracted by several disputes with the umpire during the first set.

Monfils looked sluggish at times and it was the German who earned the first break, hitting a fine backhand winner down the line to lead 3-2.

Monfils leveled at 4-4 when Petzschner netted a forehand to end a lengthy rally, but Petzschner continued to exert pressure by coming to the net and his ability to match Monfils’ clever angles and his speed around the court continued to give him an advantage.

He was rewarded at 4-4 when Monfils netted a forehand volley to concede his serve a second time and the German served out the set to love. Monfils struggled to hold serve in the opening game of the second set and then began to cramp at 2-2 as he held off two break points, before holding for 3-2.

Petzschner then earned a vital break for 5-4, setting up break point with a backhand chip at the net and breaking when a Monfils’ backhand clipped the net and landed wide.
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