Dominika Cibulkova overpowers Kaia Kanepi for maiden title win – Kremlin Cup 2011
Eighth seeded Slovak Dominika Cibulkova triumphed over Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi to clinch her maiden WTA title at the Kremlin Cup 2011, a WTA Premier event taking place on the indoor hard courts in Moscow, Russia. She bounced back
to register a 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-5 victory over the 26-year-old Kanepi to steal the show on Sunday.
The Bratislava native, Cibulkova warded off Kanepi’s powerful slices and counter attacks for the first time in their third meeting. Cibulkova outclassed the Estonian in two hours and thirty-six minutes to not only triumph her first
WTA tour title but also lower the trail in the head-to-head series by 1-2.
The blooming Estonian confidently entered the Moscow Olympic Stadium and cruised to pluck in entire serves. She brushed off all three breakpoints faced and cashed in on one of the four breakpoint opportunities to her advantage
in the fourth game to seal the opener by winning six games to three.
22-year-old Slovak raised her level of game in the second set as she smoothly kept entire serves by fending off the only breakpoint faced. However, she failed to find any breakpoint opportunity and dragged the set to a tie-breaker.
Cibulkova went berserk in it to subsequently clinch the equalizer with a 7-6(1) score line.
After both starlets held their respective serves till the scores were levelled at 3-3. Later the Slovak got the first blood and took lead for the first time in the decider. Despite losing her edge in the very next game and exchanging
another break, Cibulkova broke the Estonian’s serve once more to bag the final set with a 7-5 victory. She saved four out of six breakpoints came across but capitalised on half of the six breakpoint chances to her advantage.
"This is the best feeling I've ever had. It's the best day for me," Cibulkova said. "I've been waiting for my first WTA title for so long. It's also special because I had so many tough moments, against Zvonareva in the quarterfinals
and against Kaia today. It didn't come easily. I really had to fight for my first title."
Kanepi on the other hand declared, "Obviously I was disappointed about the loss but after sitting down for a few minutes and watching the ceremony and everything, I felt pretty positive about this week. I'm looking forward to what's
to come for me."
The big hitting Estonian fell to 1-3 in the WTA finals. However, it was her first WTA Premier level final and she is highly positive for the next event.
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