Safina wins WTA Los Angeles title
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
LOS ANGELES, July 28 (AFP): Fourth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina won the 600,000-dollar WTA Tour hardcourt tournament here Sunday with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian Flavia Pennetta.
Safina, ranked ninth in the world, captured the seventh title of her career and her second of 2008, after her victory in Berlin.
Since winning that trophy in May, Safina - younger sister of Marat Safin - had reached the final of the French Open and the grasscourt event at S'Hertogenbosch.
The 22-year-old reached the final here with a semi-final win over top seed and world No. 2 Jelena Jankovic - ending Jankovic's hopes of capturing the world number one ranking from compatriot Ana Ivanovic this week.
Pennetta, 26, arrived with two titles to her credit in 2008, but she was playing in her first final at the more prestigious Tier 2 level.
Safina, ranked ninth in the world, captured the seventh title of her career and her second of 2008, after her victory in Berlin.
Since winning that trophy in May, Safina - younger sister of Marat Safin - had reached the final of the French Open and the grasscourt event at S'Hertogenbosch.
The 22-year-old reached the final here with a semi-final win over top seed and world No. 2 Jelena Jankovic - ending Jankovic's hopes of capturing the world number one ranking from compatriot Ana Ivanovic this week.
Pennetta, 26, arrived with two titles to her credit in 2008, but she was playing in her first final at the more prestigious Tier 2 level.