By Chris Soderstrom
Jelena Jankovic ended her Porsche Tennis Grand Prix Open campaign on a high note, seizing the title and leaping back into No. 1 in the WTA Rankings today.
The Serb’s 6-4, 6-3 triumph sealed her second crown in as many weeks – having won the China Open in Beijing – and the third from a super consistent season.
“I’m very proud of winning my second tournament in a row,” beamed the 23-year-old. “It wasn’t easy coming here from China and I had very tough matches against Zvonareva and Venus, but I’m thrilled to win the Porsche today,”
“This is a great event - one of my favorite tournaments - and having both my parents and my godfather and his wife here made it extra special.”
Jankovic defeated Petrova, the 2006 champion, for the fourth time in succession and improves her all-time record to 6-2 against the Russian.
Meanwhile, Sorana Cirstea claimed her maiden WTA title yesterday, defeating Germany’s Sabine Lisicki at the Tashkent Open in Uzbekistan.
“I’ll cherish the title in Tashkent forever as it is my first title; I was desperate to take my first title! I’ve been improving a lot since my first final, and I’m looking for many more titles,” said the ecstatic 18-year-old after her thrilling 2-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) victory.