The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Berdych and Jankovic triumph; Paes-Dlouhy lose

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Berdych and Jankovic triumph; Paes-Dlouhy lose

— Photo: AP

SHINING STARS: The champion Jelena Jankovic (right) and runner-up Nadia Petrova pose alongside a gleaming Porsche Carrera 911 sportscar at the Porsche Grand Prix tennis tournament in Stuttgart on Sunday.

TOKYO: Ninth seed Tomas Berdych powered past Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro in straight sets on Sunday to win the Japan Open tennis championship, his first title of the season.

Meanwhile, India’s Leander Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy lost to Mikhail Youzhny of Russia and German Mischa Zverev 6-3, 6-4 in the men’s doubles final.

On the women’s side, top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia.

Berdych, who shocked American second seed Andy Roddick and third seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, coasted to a 6-1, 6-4 victory over the fifth-seeded Del Potro.

“In this condition and at this level of tennis, I think the most important thing is to... just be 100 per cent on the court — then the results can come,” said the 23-year-old Czech.

Del Potro — ranked 12th after a blistering summer during which he won four titles — appeared to be off form, taking an injury time out during the first set and another before the start of the second set.

On the women’s side, the 18-year-old Wozniacki added to her 2008 success, after winning in Stockholm and New Haven in August.

“I feel amazing. I just won another tournament. It’s been an incredible year. This is my first title here in Japan and I’m very happy,” said a jubilant Wozniacki, ranked 16th against Kanepi’s 33rd. “I think I improved a lot last year.”

Stunning results

Meanwhile in the men’s doubles section, Paes and Dlouhy’s bid for a second successive ATP title ended in disappointment after the top seeds were stunned by Youzhny and Zverev.

Playing a solid service game, Youzhny and Zverev converted two of the four break points that came their way and protected their serve against four break point chances that Dlouhy and Paes earned in the 58-minute encounter.

It is the second time this year that Youzhny and Zverev have combined to deny Paes and Dlouhy a title win, having also done so when they claimed their maiden ATP title at Halle in June.

At Stuttgart (Germany), new World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic won her second title in two weeks on Sunday, beating Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Serb also won the China Open last week and now has three titles this year. She also won the Italian Open.

Jankovic was assured of taking over the top ranking on Monday regardless of the outcome of the final. She already held the No. 1 spot for one week in August.

Serena Williams became the No. 1 after beating Jankovic in the final of the U.S. Open, but the American will drop from the top ranking after losing her opening match in Stuttgart.

The results: At Tokyo: Japan Open (all finals): Men’s singles: Tomas Berdych bt Juan Martin Del Potro 6-1, 6-4.

Men’s doubles: Mikhail Youzhny & Mischa Zverev bt Lukas Dlouhy & Leander Paes 6-3, 6-4.

Women’s singles: Caroline Wozniacki bt Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

At Stuttgart: WTA Porsche Grand Prix: Final: Jelena Jankovic bt Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-3. Semifinals: Petrova bt Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 6-4; Jankovic bt Venus Williams 6-7(8), 7-5, 6-2.

At Metz: ATP Open de Moselle: Final: Dmitry Tursunov bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6(6), 1-6, 6-4. Semifinals: Mathieu bt Adrian Mannarino 7-6(8), 7-6(1); Tursunov bt Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-4. — Agencies

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