Maria Kirilenko has claimed The Estoril Open in Portugal after seeing off the final challenge of Iveta Benesova.
Russian second sees Kirilenko claimed victory to heap misery on Czech player Benesova, who has now lost the final of three successive tournaments after Sunday’s 6-4 6-2 defeat.
Kirilenko, 21, always looked the most likely winner of the two despite a nervy start from both and the fact that she broke her opponent’s serve on five separate occasions backs up her right to the title. She led 5-4 going into the tenth game of the first set, but a rain delay at 30-30 meant she had to wait to seal a lead.
That one-set lead was earned after a 41-minute delay, however as Bensova fired into the net to hand it to the world number 32.
The second set was more straightforward for Kirilenko as she exploited a stuttering Benesova to take a 2-0 lead from her serve. Benesova was well behind as she pulled back a couple of sets on her own serve, but the net was again hr undoing as he found it once more in the eighth to hand victory to Kirilenko.
The win was the first of the year for the Russian player and the third overall in her career.
Roger Federer and Nikolay Davydenko meet in the men’s final, also on Sunday, with the world number one looking for his first victory of 2008.
Meanwhile, Britain's Jamie Murray was on the losing side in the men’s doubles final in Portugal.
Murray, playing alongside Kevin Ullyett of South Africa, lost out to top seeds Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie, both also from South Africa, the winners earning a -2 4-6 10-8 victory in a 74-minute match.
Austrian tennis player Daniela Klemenschits dies aged 25 (The Earth Times)
Interesting blog by Diane who is visiting Charleston. Keep an eye on her this entire week as she will blog live on the scene! (Women who serve)
Rafael Nadal is angry…and when he gets angry he turns into the Hulk. Ermm…I mean red…clayman. (The Guardian)
The Tennis Warehouse is cashing in on Europeans by opening a new store in Germany (SanLuisObispo)
900 victories and counting. Man that’s a lot of wins! (Courier Post Online)
Tiger Tim will continue to roar on Wimbledon as a BBC commentator during this year’s Wimbledon (The Press Association)
A lickable Ana Ivanovic has arrived on the scene. Jelena Jankovic is underway. (Women’s Tennis Blog)
While we were sleeping Maria Sharapova went out in Beverly Hills with none other than Novak Djokovic (X17)
And to complete this post I have gotten my hand on a few exclusive Maria Kirilenko photos. They are taken from the gallery of the official website of Maria Kirilenko. The official gallery is proudly hosted by TennisGrandStand.
