Elena Dementieva battled past Svetlana Kuznetsova 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the all-Russian final at the Dubai Championships.
Second defeat in final for Kuznetsova
Elena Dementieva battled past Svetlana Kuznetsova 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the all-Russian final at the Dubai Championships.
The eighth seed had not won a title since her victory in Moscow last October but came from behind to beat the second seed.
The contest produced 14 breaks of serve, with Kuznetsova going ahead 2-0 before losing the next three games. She then won three in a row to lead 5-3.
Dementieva, who was particularly effective on the forehand side, broke as Kuznetsova served for the set, only to drop her own serve for the fourth time in the next game.
The second set was also close but Kuznetsova had the opportunity to build on her advantage when she held a break point to lead 2-0, only to hit a return long. Dementieva seized her chance and broke twice to go 4-1 up.
Momentum
Although Kuznetsova recovered one break in the sixth game, Dementieva broke again for the set as her countrywoman came up with a couple of unforced errors.
Dementieva had the momentum going into the decider and quickly built up a 2-0 lead which she never surendered.
It was a ninth career title for the Russian and a second defeat in the final for her opponent - who lost to Justine Henin here in 2004.
"It's my first time here and it's such a big win," said Dementieva. "It's the best match I have played in a long time.
"I was playing it wrong tactically in the first set. I had to move her more and be aggressive, to mix it up but really attack her a lot.
"Now I realise how good I can be on the court."
