Chakvetadze wins Cincinnati title

FE Team | Published: July 24, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

MASON (Ohio), Jul 23 (AP): Anna Chakvetadze won the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open with a 6-1, 6-3 win against Akiko Morigami on Sunday. Chakvetadze, who won her third title this year, improved to 5-0 in WTA Tour championship matches.
Chakvetadze set a fast pace from the start, riding a service break to a 3-0 lead in the first set and earning another in the sixth game to put herself in position to close out the set in just 26 minutes.
"I was trying to concentrate on every point," Chakvetadze said. "When you're not aggressive against that type of player, you have longer rallies. I'd rather stay aggressive and control every point."
Morigami showed signs of life in the second set, jumping out to a 2-0 lead, but Chakvetadze got back on track by breaking Morigami's serve in the third game and winning four more to take control of the set and the match. She clinched when Morigami's backhand from the baseline sailed into the net.
Chakvetadze needed less than an hour to beat Morigami, who reached the finals for the second time in this tournament. She lost to Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in 2005.
Morigami defeated Chakvetadze on grass at Surbiton in 2004, on hardcourts at San Diego in 2005 and on clay at Rome last year. But Morigami said she was on the defensive for the entire match Sunday.
"She's a different player now," Morigami said of Chakvetadze. "She changes direction with every other ball. She runs you from side to side. I tried to mix it up and change the rhythm, but I couldn't do it."