Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro claimed her first WTA title on Saturday when she beat Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at the Portugal Open.
She had lost her previous five WTA finals and stuttered from 4-1 up in the decider against the twice Grand Slam champion before edging home in two hours, 10 minutes.
In the men’s event, Tomas Berdych gave himself a chance at a first claycourt title for five years after reaching yesterday’s final with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Victor Hanescu.
Photo: AFP
The Czech world No. 6 was untroubled by Hanescu, powering into a final against Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq.
Berdych, regarded as a hardcourt specialist, last won a tournament on clay in Munich in 2009.
Berlocq beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.
Suarez Navarro said she was delighted to continue an impressive season with some big tournaments ahead.
“I’m very happy I could finally win my first WTA title,” she told the WTA Web site.
“I was a little bit nervous today. It was a difficult match too — it was windy today and we were both making mistakes,” she added.
“Now there’s Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, which to me is the best tournament of the year, but it’s still far. Most important right now is the next tournament in Madrid,” she said.
MADRID OPEN
AP, MADRID
Sara Errani of Italy beat Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-1 in the first round of the Madrid Open on Saturday, avenging a loss she had to the German at the same stage four years ago.
Errani advanced to play countrywoman Francesca Schiavone or Russia’s Elena Vesnina.
Errani placed 87 percent of her first serves in and broke Petkovic five times while saving five of six break chances against her.
Also, Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia beat Karin Knapp of Italy 6-1, 6-1, while American Alison Riske outlasted Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-7 (9/7), 6-1, 6-2.
Christina McHale bettered training partner and fellow American Lauren Davis 7-6 (4/2), 6-3.
Other winners from the first round included Spaniards Garbine Muguruza and Lara Arruabarrena, and Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia.
BMW OPEN
AP, MUNICH, Germany
Slovakian qualifier Martin Klizan defeated defending champion Tommy Haas 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday to set up a BMW Open final against top-seeded Fabio Fognini.
Klizan needed just 64 minutes to beat the second-seeded German veteran, who was clearly struggling with the right shoulder injury that had kept him out of action since March 13, when he lost to Roger Federer in the fourth round at Indian Wells.
“It wasn’t a great match for the fans because Haas couldn’t play like that. Now I’m looking forward to the final,” the 111th-ranked Klizan said.
Fognini needed just over an hour to ease past German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-1 in the other semi-final.
“It was a difficult match,” Fognini told the ATP Web site. “I am happy because I am in the final on my debut here.”
Fognini beat Klizan in their past three meetings, but the Slovakian defeated the 15th-ranked Italian in his only previous ATP World Tour final, at St Petersburg, Russia, in October 2012.
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