Myskina retains Kremlin Cup title

Moscow:

Defending champion Anastasia Myskina beat Elena Dementieva 7-5, 6-0 on Sunday to retain her title in the first-ever all-Russian final at the Kremlin Cup tournament. It was a re-run of the first all-Russian Grand Slam final at the French Open in June, which Myskina won in straight sets. While Dementieva was trying to avenge that defeat, she also wanted to improve on her performance in her last appearance in the final when she had lost in straight sets to Jelena Dokic in 2001. At first, the fifth seed Dementieva seemed slightly more assured than her opponent, taking a 5-3 lead in the first set. But that was it for Dementieva as Myskina took over from there, winning the next 10 games in a row. After taking the first set 7-5, Myskina grabbed the second in just 24 minutes against a demoralised opponent. The end came as Dementieva tamely double-faulted for Myskina a 7-5, 6-0 victory and a hug from former Russian President Boris Yeltsin, a huge tennis fan who has attended every day of this tournament. With her third title of the year, Myskina will move up one spot, to number three in the world, behind Lindsay Davenport and Amelie Mauresmo. And despite her defeat, Dementieva also jumps one place to number five, just behind another Russian, US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. (AP)