SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) ― Nadia Petrova stunned top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-1 to win the Tournament of Champions on Sunday, clinching her third WTA title of the year.
The second-seeded Russian broke Wozniacki twice in each set, taking control from the beginning through her booming serve and groundstrokes.
“It was a great way to finish the season by winning the title in Sofia, and the doubles in Istanbul,” Petrova said after her first win in the past five matches against Wozniacki. “I want to congratulate Caroline for her amazing performance this week.”
Wozniacki had a medical timeout during the second set and is looking forward to a break.
“It did not go very well for me today. Now I will go on vacation to recharge the batteries for next season,” she said.
Nadia Petrova of Russia kisses her trophy after the final match against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark at the WTA Tournament of the Champions in Sofia, Bulgaria, Sunday. (Xinhua-Yonhap News)
The 30-year-old Russian, who also won titles in the Netherlands and Japan this year, will rise one spot to 12th when the WTA rankings are released Monday. It was the 13th career victory for Petrova, who received a check for $270,000.
The Tournament of Champions is the final event on the WTA calendar. It featured the six highest-ranked players who have won a title during the season but didn’t qualify for the WTA Championships, along with two wild cards.
The event in 2013 and 2014 will again be held in Sofia. It was staged in Bali the previous three years.
Paris Masters PARIS (AP) ― David Ferrer beat Polish qualifier Jerzy Janowicz 6-4, 6-3 to win the Paris Masters on Sunday, clinching the first Masters title of his career and a tour-leading seventh trophy of the season.
The fourth-seeded Spaniard lost his three previous Masters finals ― twice to Rafael Nadal and once to Andy Murray ― but this time he didn’t have a Grand Slam winner in front of him and never looked in real danger, although he did lose his serve early in the second set.
Ferrer collapsed to the floor and held his head in his hands after securing victory on his first match point when Janowicz’s two-handed backhand was wide. Ferrer’s seven titles this season is one more than Roger Federer, who did not defend his title in Paris.
“I was very nervous because it was my chance to win a first Masters title but somehow I knew it was my turn,” Ferrer said. “To me this is a dream to win here. If I won it’s because I have a great team.”
The 69th-ranked Janowicz made an incredible run to the final, eliminating five top-20 ranked players in a row. But this time his mighty serve let him down.
“Again, I slept only four hours last night. I’m not a machine. I’m proud of myself,” Janowicz said. “This has been an incredible week. I would like to thank my family, my fans here and all my supporters back home.”
In the fourth game of the match, the entertaining Janowicz hit a booming serve of 242 kilometers per hour (150 mph) and drew cheers from the crowd at the Bercy arena when he followed up an extravagant drop shot with a spectacular volley winner.
Ferrer, who saved 10 break points in the first set in his semifinal against Michael Llodra, was briefly troubled in the ninth game when Janowicz forced the first break point of the match, but the Pole wasted it after hitting an unforced error into net.
In the next game, Janowicz saved one break point with an ace, before gifting Ferrer another chance with a double-fault. Ferrer converted it when Janowicz’s loose forehand went long.
Janowicz started the second set brightly and broke Ferrer in the third game. The Spaniard’s forehand was called in and Janowicz challenged it, drawing a huge roar when the big screen showed it landing out and prompting a beaming smile from the Pole, who has thrilled crowds all week with his cavalier style of play.
The advantage was shortlived as Ferrer broke back in the next game for 2-2, with Janowicz’s errant forehand again to blame as he swiped the ball long.
Ferrer saved two break points in the next game and then broke Janowicz again to take control of the match at 4-2.
Fed Cup
PRAGUE (AP) ― The Czech Republic kept its Fed Cup title Sunday when Lucie Safarova routed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-1 for an unassailable 3-1 lead in the final.
Safarova won the second reverse singles in the best-of-five series. She captured the match against a former No. 1 player with a forehand on her second match point before an ecstatic sell-out home crowd on the hard court at O2 Arena. The Czech players danced on the court while fans celebrated with Mexican waves.
“It’s hard to describe how I feel. I played an unbelievable game,” Safarova said. “I desperately wanted to win and I’m really delighted. It’s fantastic to win at home, in Prague. I played one of the best matches of my career.”
The Czechs are the third country in a row to successfully defend the Fed Cup title. Russia won in 2007-08 and Italy 2009-10.
The Czechs took a 2-0 lead after the opening singles Saturday, but Ana Ivanovic made it 2-1 Sunday by beating Petra Kvitova 6-3, 7-5. It was the first loss for Kvitova after 11 straight Fed Cup singles wins
The 17th-ranked Safarova hit 32 winners. She saved two break points before racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set, and broke Jankovic twice in the second to open up a 5-1 advantage.
The Czechs won their first title last year since Czechoslovakia’s split in 1993. Czechoslovakia won five times, including three straight from 1983-85.
Earlier, the 12th-ranked Ivanovic jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second set and converted her third match point against Kvitova with a forehand winner.
“I’m little bit sad about how I played,” said Kvitova, who hit 24 winners to 29 by Ivanovic.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
