Lisbon: Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro claimed her first WTA title on Saturday when she beat Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 at the Portugal Open.
She had lost her previous five WTA finals and stuttered from 4-1 up in the decider against the twice grand slam champion before edging home in two hours 10 minutes.
In the men’s event, Tomas Berdych can clinch a first clay-court title for five years after reaching the final with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Victor Hanescu.
The Czech world No 6 was untroubled by Hanescu, powering into a final against Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq.
Berdych, regarded as a hardcourt specialist, last won a tournament on clay in Munich in 2009. Berlocq beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver of Spain 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.
Suarez Navarro said she was delighted to continue an impressive season with some big tournaments ahead.
“I’m very happy I could finally win my first WTA title,” she told the WTA website. “I was a little bit nervous. It was a difficult match too — it was windy today and we were both making mistakes.
“Now there’s Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros, which to me is the best tournament of the year, but it’s still far — most important right now is the next tournament in Madrid.”
