Kiki Bertens and Sam Stosur prepare for French open with Nuremberg and Strasbourg wins
Tuesday 30 May 2017 13:05, UK
Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands won Nuremberg's WTA clay-court tournament for the second year in a row after her 6-2 6-1 victory over Barbora Krejcikova.
The 25-year-old, ranked 19th in the world, was never troubled by the Czech Republic's Krejcikova in Saturday's final.
Bertens needed just 56 minutes to wrap up the title without losing a single set in any of her five matches and which she adds to her victory at Nuremberg last year.
Her third WTA win is the perfect build-up to the French Open, which starts on Sunday.
Bertens reached the semi-finals of Roland Garros last year - her best result at a Grand Slam tournament to date - where she eventually lost to Serena Williams.
"I am very happy, I did not expect to win this week but I did it again," said Bertens following her victory.
"I'm leaving on Sunday morning for Paris and I'll be ready on Monday."
Krejcikova, 21, who is ranked 254th in the WTA standings, held her serve early on until Bertens broke her in the fifth game, then won the next three to take the first set in 35 minutes.
The second set was an even quicker affair. Bertens, who blasted down seven aces in total to he rivals none, broke Krejcikova in the fourth game for a 3-1 lead and won the next three to seal the second set in 23 minutes.
Meanwhile, Samantha Stosur held her Australian number one ranking on Saturday by beating compatriot Daria Gavrilova 5-7 6-4 6-3 to win the Strasbourg WTA title on Saturday.
Stosur, 33, has held the top ranking for 450 weeks and would have lost it if she fell to Moscow-born Gavrilova.
Stosur won the Strasbourg title for a second time after 2015 to clinch her ninth career crown and third on clay ahead of her French Open campaign which begins Monday against Slovak Kristina Kucova.
The 2011 US Open champion needed 2 hours 45 minutes to get past 23-year-old Gavrilova, her doubles partner at the 2016 Rio Games, who had been bidding for her maiden WTA title.
Gavrilova had been bidding to be the the first new Australian number one since Casey Dellacqua held the top spot in October, 2008.
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