Youzhny pulls away in Moscow final
MOSCOW -- Mikhail Youzhny of Russia beat Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia and Francesca Schiavone of Italy defeated Olga Govortsova of Belarus to win Kremlin Cup titles on Sunday.
Youzhny won 6-7 (5), 6-0, 6-4 to earn his fifth career title and extend Russia's winning streak at the home event to six straight years. American Taylor Dent was the last non-Russian to win the tourney, 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."
Need the scores from any match played in today's tournaments? Schiavone won her second career title with a 6-3, 6-0 victory.
"It's difficult to play with Francesca on this [hard-court] surface," Govortsova said. "She practically made no mistakes. She made me run a lot in the first set and it had an impact on me later in the match."
Tipsarevic had not lost a set on the way to his first ATP Tour final.
"I'm obviously disappointed because I've lost," he said. "But I think, I didn't lose today -- Misha beat me. He was a better player."
The sixth-seeded Serb prevailed on the first-set tiebreaker, but the 30th-ranked Youzhny charged back, winning eight consecutive games to level at one set apiece and lead 2-0 in the decisive set. Tipsarevic saved four match points in the ninth game before Youzhny served for the match and sealed the win with a crosscourt forehand.
It was Youzhny's first final in 11 appearances at the event. He is now 5-11 in ATP finals.
Schiavone is 2-10 in WTA Tour finals. She also won the 2007 Gastein Ladies.
The eighth-seeded Italian, the 2005 Kremlin Cup runner-up, said that a break on the ninth deuce in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead was the key moment of the match.
"The game was very long but I did very good," Schiavone said. "Everything changed at that moment. When I found the way, it was much easier, and she [Govortsova] didn't know how to finish points, I think."
Govortsova broke back immediately, but Schiavone then won eight games in a row.
The 24th-ranked Schiavone was playing in her second final in as many weeks, having lost to Samantha Stosur of Australia at Osaka, Japan.
The 67th-ranked Govortsova was playing in her second career final.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
