Top-ranked Dinara Safina defeats Svetlan Kuznetsova in Rome for 1st title of year

Safina defeats Kuznetsova to win Rome title

ROME — Top-ranked Dinara Safina won her first title of the year Saturday by defeating fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the final of the Italian Open.

Safina avenged a loss to Kuznetsova in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix last weekend in Stuttgart, Germany. She also lost two other finals this year, including the Australian Open.

“I had in my head that I lost three finals this year,” Safina said. “I was like, ‘OK, I don’t want to have this, that I’m losing the finals.’ I’m really happy that I could win today.”

Safina comfortably controlled a match in which Kuznetsova committed 30 unforced errors, almost twice as many as her opponent.

“I think that (Kuznetsova) gave me many free points, she was not at her best today,” said the 23-year-old Safina. “But she’s not an easy opponent, especially on clay-court. I think I played really good today.”

Safina closed out the 43-minute first set with a smash and won five straight games in the second as her opponent committed a string of unforced errors. She converted her third match point, after saving two break points in the final game.

“It was a little bit like Christmas,” Kuznetsova said. “I was giving too many presents.”

Safina, who ousted Venus Williams in the semifinals, had a shaky start to the tournament but her form improved along the way. She rallied from one set down in three straight matches before Saturday’s final.

“Sometimes these kind of matches bring you into the game, because you have to bring something to win the match. I think yesterday’s match gave me a lot of confidence,” she said.

Safina enters the French Open on May 24 looking to back up the No. 1 ranking by winning her first Grand Slam title. She lost in French Open final to Ana Ivanovic last year.

“The clay-court season started and (I have) one final and one title,” Safina said. “Can not be better.”

Safina took over the top ranking on April 20, joining older sibling Marat Safin the only brother-sister duo to have been ranked No. 1.

Kuznetsova will climb one spot to No. 7 in next week’s rankings.