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| 2 May 2005 | Monday | 22 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426 |
Safarova stuns Li to land title
ESTORIL, May 1: Czech qualifier Lucie Safarova upset fourth seed Li Na of China 6-7 6-4 6-3 to win the Estoril Open women’s claycourt title on Sunday. The 18-year-old became only the second qualifier this year to win a WTA tour title after Serbian Ana Ivanovic achieved that feat in Canberra. Title for Gaudio French Open champion Gaston Gaudio claimed his third title of the year with a 6-1 2-6 6-1 victory over Spain’s Tommy Robredo in the final of Estoril Open on Sunday. Henin-claims title
WARSAW: Justine Henin-Hardenne on Sunday denied Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova her first title of the year when she claimed a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory in the WTA Warsaw Cup final.
The unseeded Belgian, who recently lost to Kuznetsova in the Indian Wells quarterfinals, extended her winning run to 11 matches and claimed her second clay court title in succession after defeating Elena Dementieva to win in Charleston two weeks ago.
Nalbandian triumhs
MUNICH: Argentine top seed David Nalbandian made short work of Romania’s Andre Pavel to take the Munich Open with a 6-4 6-1 victory in Sunday’s final.
Nalbandian’s first ATP tournament win since 2002 came in just 69 minutes and earned him a new car from the sponsors as well as the $56,870 first prize.
Nalbandian’s perfect placement never gave the fifth-seeded Pavel a chance, as the Argentine won the first set with a single break before taking complete command in the second.
He consolidated an early break for 3-1, ran Pavel out wide to set up a break-point in the next and took it when the Romanian mishit an easy forehand into the bottom of the net.
Nalbandian set up three match-points with a stunning return that left his opponent flat-footed. Pavel clipped the line with a forehand to save the first but could not reach a vicious Nalbandian backhand on the next.—Agencies
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