THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Elena Dementieva claimed her 12th WTA singles tennis title Saturday when she beat fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-1 at the ASB Classic. Dementieva, No.4-ranked and the tournament's top seed, outclassed 76th-ranked Vesnina in an 88-minute final, overcoming a slow start to dominate the match with consistent power and accuracy. The match was the 17th all-Russian final in WTA tournaments since 2003, nine of which have featured Dementieva, who will seek her first Grand Slam crown in this month's Australian Open. The first set lasted 50 minutes and featured five breaks of serve as Dementieva took time to settle. Vesnina played aggressively in early games, attacking her opponent's weak second serve and rushing to the net behind deep forehand approaches. Dementieva worked her way into the match near the middle of the set and the 27-year-old's greater experience of finals tennis told as her 22-year-old opponent showed a lack of composure on key points. Vesnina took advantage of a double break point in the third game of the first set to take a 2-1 lead, clinching the game with a thumping forehand volley. Dementieva was forced to save three break points in the fifth game then broke back in the sixth for 3-3. She broke again in the eighth game, lost serve to love in the ninth but broke Vesnina, also to love, in the 10th game to take the set 6-4. Service breaks in the second and fourth games of the second set gave Dementieva a 5-0 lead over her regular doubles partner, who then held serve for the first time in six games for 5-1. Dementieva trailed 0-40 while serving for the set in the seventh game but recovered to take the match and tournament on her first championship point.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Dementieva makes it a career dozen
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Elena Dementieva claimed her 12th WTA singles tennis title Saturday when she beat fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-4, 6-1 at the ASB Classic. Dementieva, No.4-ranked and the tournament's top seed, outclassed 76th-ranked Vesnina in an 88-minute final, overcoming a slow start to dominate the match with consistent power and accuracy. The match was the 17th all-Russian final in WTA tournaments since 2003, nine of which have featured Dementieva, who will seek her first Grand Slam crown in this month's Australian Open. The first set lasted 50 minutes and featured five breaks of serve as Dementieva took time to settle. Vesnina played aggressively in early games, attacking her opponent's weak second serve and rushing to the net behind deep forehand approaches. Dementieva worked her way into the match near the middle of the set and the 27-year-old's greater experience of finals tennis told as her 22-year-old opponent showed a lack of composure on key points. Vesnina took advantage of a double break point in the third game of the first set to take a 2-1 lead, clinching the game with a thumping forehand volley. Dementieva was forced to save three break points in the fifth game then broke back in the sixth for 3-3. She broke again in the eighth game, lost serve to love in the ninth but broke Vesnina, also to love, in the 10th game to take the set 6-4. Service breaks in the second and fourth games of the second set gave Dementieva a 5-0 lead over her regular doubles partner, who then held serve for the first time in six games for 5-1. Dementieva trailed 0-40 while serving for the set in the seventh game but recovered to take the match and tournament on her first championship point.
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