Jankovic wins China open

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:03

The 23-year-old Serb also gained revenge for her quarter-final defeat to the Russian at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last week.

Former US Open champion Kuznetsova, who cruised to the final with a string of straight-sets victories, surrendered the first set with a series of unforced errors. And in a battle of hard-hitting baseliners, Jankovic never allowed Kuznetsova to find her rhythm, and steamrolled the Russian in the second set to close out the match.

Though she owns a 55-16 record and has reached the quarter-finals or better in 17 of 18 events, Jankovic’s championship in Rome remains had previously been her only triumph this season.

While titles have been elusive, the second-ranked Jankovic is enjoying a breakout season in many respects.

The 23-year-old reached her first Grand Slam final at the US Open, where she lost to Serena Williams, and held the number one ranking for a week last month.

Kuznetsova has played in four finals this season, including last weekend in Tokyo, but is in the midst of a title drought that dates to August 2007 in New Haven.

The nine-time champion drops to 4-3 all-time against Jankovic, including the win over her last week in the Tokyo quarters.

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