A doubles victory with local player Janet Lee helped Anna Kournikova make up for a singles loss at the Shanghai Open yesterday.
Anna Smashnova dashed Anna Kournikova's hopes of a first WTA title with a 6-2, 6-3 victory in yesterday's final.
Kournikova ran faster and hit the ball harder than her opponent. But the 21-year-old Russian foundered on unforced errors, repeatedly hitting balls too long from the baseline and missing key net shots.
Smashnova, a 26-year-old Israeli who is ranked 19th in the world, remained precise and controlled. She pleased the crowd on several occasions with perfect winners hit in mid-stride as a hapless Kournikova looked on.
Kournikova finally tasted victory when she returned to the court a few hours later with Taiwan partner Janet Lee.
They beat Ai Sugiyama and Rika Fujiwara 7-5, 6-3 in the doubles finals, a relatively easy victory after a tough first set.
It was Kournikova's 16th WTA doubles title since turning professional in 1995.
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