Simona Halep claimed the fifth title of her career by beating Samantha Stosur 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the final of the Kremlin Cup on Sunday.
The 18th-ranked Halep, who dropped only one set in four final appearances since winning her maiden title in Nurnberg, Germany, in June, constantly trapped Stosur in the corners and beat the former U.S. Open champion with precise crosses and shots down the line throughout the match.
Stosur, a runner-up here last year, saved 11 break points in the first set before Halep dominated on a tiebreaker. The fifth-seeded Romanian jumped to a 4-1 lead in the second and sealed the victory with a break on her first match point, when Stosur netted her return.
Top-seeded Richard Gasquet was scheduled to play qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin in men’s final.
