Kerber beats Wozniacki to lift WTA Copenhagen title

Copenhagen, April 16 (IANS) Former World No.1, Caroline Wozniacki saw her winning streak at the Danish Open come to an end as Angelique Kerber of Germany downed the Dane 6-4, 6-4 to clinch the title here.

Wozniacki had previously won the $220,000 indoor hardcourt tournament in 2010 and 2011, but Kerber brought that winning streak to a halt through her sharply-angled returns and clean forehand smashes, despite committing a number of unforced errors Sunday.

"I am very glad to win my second (WTA) title. Caroline is a great player, it was a tough match, and I showed all my skills here today," Kerber was quoted as saying by Xinhua.

The contest was closely fought from the start, but it was 24-year-old Kerber, ranked 15, who quickly went up 2-1 in the first set, and put pressure on the 21-year-old Wozniacki, ranked sixth.

Wozniacki looked rattled and seemed to lose both concentration and rhythm, as Kerber pulled ahead 1-0 in the second set. The match stopped briefly after Wozniacki slipped and hurt her ankle while returning a volley, but she resumed with a bandaged foot and ankle.

The pause helped Wozniacki rally her game, and she pulled ahead 4-1 in the second set, through some expert volleys and placement that sent Kerber racing around the centre court.

But Kerber proved resilient, winning a series of break points and five straight games, to wrap up the second set 6-4.

"I knew before the match that I had to give it 100 percent, and I did, and it was a good match played at a high level," said Kerber.

The victory brought Kerber her second WTA title overall. It is especially sweet for the German player who previously lost to Wozniacki in the quarter-finals here last year.

This year's defeat was a deep disappointment for Wozniacki who had cruised through the main draw, winning all her matches in straight sets.

Sunday's other final match saw Kimiko Date-Krumm and Rika Fujiwara of Japan beat Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson and Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 4-6, (10-5) to lift the doubles title.