Youzhny defeats weary Tipsarevic in Moscow

Published on Sunday 25 October 2009 22:25

RUSSIA'S Mikhail Youzhny rallied to beat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-7 (5-7), 6-0, 6-4 to win the Kremlin Cup, while Italian Francesca Schiavone won her second career title, beating Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-3, 6-0 for the women's crown.

Youzhny took his fifth career title and extended Russia's title streak in the home event to six consecutive years since American Taylor Dent won there in 2003. "The first set was a tough one for both of us," Youzhny said. "But in the second set he appeared to be really tired after a tough doubles match he had played late on Saturday."

Elsewhere, former world number eight Marcos Baghdatis won the third ATP title of his career yesterday with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Belgian Olivier Rochus in the Stockholm Open final.

The Cypriot, who has slipped to 66 in the rankings, outplayed Rochus in the first set and then survived a fightback from the Belgian in the second.

Baghdatis came back from 4-2 down and eventually broke Rochus to 6-5. He went on to grab two match points with a fine backhand down the line and then wrapped up the match with an ace.

In the final of the Luxembourg Open, unseeded Timea Bacsinszky won her first WTA title, beating sixth-seeded Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 7-5.