TheSportsCampus

Flavia Pennetta clinched her 9th career WTA Tour title at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella following a hard-fought battle against Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro in Sunday's final. The Italian won 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 after dropping her only set of the week. Sadly for Suarez Navarro, it was the second straight defeat in the final after she lost last year to Jelena Jankovic.

Pennetta coasted through the opening set 6-2 before the 21-year old Spaniard rallied back to nick the second set 6-4. The final set was a tight affair, with Pennetta clawing her way back from a point away from 2-4 to clinch four games in a row to seal the win.

"I just got the better of her at the end," said a beaming Pennetta. "I started well then got a bit tired, and Carla started playing more aggressively. I could have won it in two sets. I had to start all over again in the third, but from 3-all I played very well. I think Carla will have many chances to win this tournament though. People were telling me how good this tournament is, and they were right."

Across the world at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida, world number two Caroline Wozniacki claimed the MPS Group Championships title with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Olga Gorvotsova. Unseeded Gorvotsova made 41 unforced errors, althought she managed to build a 4-1 lead in the second set. She also led 5-4 and held two set points in a 22-point game before a double-fault allowed the Dane to level at 5-5.

"I took the chances. I believed that I could go for it a little more when I had my opportunity," said Wozniacki. "It was important for me that I was the one opening the court and I was the one dictating the points."

The International Series now moves on to Barcelona.

File Photograph Copyright: Italian Open (Constantini)