DUBAI (AP) ― Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland won her eighth career WTA title, defeating Julia Goerges of Germany 7-5, 6-4 in the Dubai Tennis Championships final on Saturday.
Radwanska will rise one place to a career-best No. 5 when the world rankings are released Monday.
The fifth-seeded Radwanska led in both sets but it took her almost 2 hours to overcome the unseeded Goerges.
The German rallied on her powerful forehand, but Radwanska patiently remained on the baseline to watch Goerges’ unsuccessful forays to the net, rushing her shots and returning them long and wide.
Radwanska led 4-1 in the second set. Goerges won three more games before Radwanska wrapped up the second win over her in a month.
“Her forehand ― it’s a very big weapon,” Radwanska said. “It’s just going so fast and sometimes, you know, I couldn’t even like move the right way and the ball was already behind me.”
Open 13 MARSEILLE, France (AP) ― Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina defeated top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-3 in an Open 13 semifinal on Saturday.
Del Potro will face 2010 champion Michael Llodra of France, who defeated third-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 6-4, 7-6 (10). Llodra saved six set points in the tiebreaker and converted his first match point when Tipsarevic hit a forehand wide.
Tsonga outslugged Del Potro with 26 aces to 15 but made too many unforced errors against the 2009 U.S. Open champion, who reached his second final in two weeks.
Copa Claro
BUENOS AIRES (AP) ― Defending champion Nicolas Almagro will meet fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the Copa Claro final.
No. 2 seed Almagro defeated Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 on Saturday.
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
