Image courtesy of Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships
Eighth seed Elena Dementieva rallied from a set down to defeat second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova on Saturday in the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships singles final.
Playing for the first time in Dubai, Dementieva won her ninth Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title, boosting her ranking back into the Top 10.
Svetlana Kuznetsova had her chances in Saturday’s three set women’s final, but lost her sixth championship match in less than twelve months 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“I’m very disappointed,” conceded Kuznetsova after the match. “I had all sorts of chances today but I just couldn’t take them. At the start of the match we were pretty even, but as the match went on my level kept dropping lower and lower. I began to try going for winners too early in the points and that just didn’t work against her.”
Dementieva is projected to rise from No.11 to No.10, her first time inside the Top 10 since last October.
“The whole week I had such a bad draw; this tournament is really popular and so everyone had it like that, but I’m just happy I was able to play my best at the end of the week,” said Dementieva.
“In the past I was playing Paris and Antwerp and so I didn’t make it here, but I heard so many good things about it from the other players and I came this year. And I have no regrets.”
Elena looked really awesome in winning the championship. If she continues to serve at least that well, She’ll have a good run in March’s two tier 1 tourneys. However, I think Sharapova in the favorite for both if healthy.
Go Elena! Nice to see her rack up another Tier I title. Too bad for her no matter how well she does I see her in Maria’s shadow for 08 as far as Russian ladies are concerned. Hope she makes a good SF run at the slams and maybe two more big tourneys!