With Kirilenko dumping a backhand into the net, Azarenka broke to start out the match.  However, Kirilenko wiped away game point and by provoking a few errors from her rival manufactured a couple of break points.  Kirilenko capitalized when Azarenka double faulted.  Later though at 2 all, as Kirilenko’s forehand up the line sailed long, Azarenka had triple break point.  Azarenka converted when Kirilenko’s backhand directed down the line found the net instead.  Then, with a forehand up the line winner on game point, Azarenka consolidated for 4-2.  Down the road, with a love game, Azarenka extended her lead to 5-3. Next, with a forehand up the line winner, Azarenka got to double set point.  By connecting with a backhand down the line winner, Azarenka took the first set.

In the second set, after squandering a game point, Azarenka erred on the backhand side to hand her opponent a break point.  When Azarenka’s forehand bounced long, Kirilenko bagged the break.  Following a tough hold to consolidate, Kirilenko on her third break chance struck a winner to stretch her advantage by a double break.  Next, with a quick game, Kirilenko sprinted to 4-0.  Consequently, a third set appeared a surety. After steadying herself with a love hold, Azarenka obtained double break point when Kirilenko pushed another backhand into the net.  With Kirilenko committing another miscue, Azarenka narrowed the deficit to 2-4.  Still, Kirilenko kept the pressure and courtesy of a backhand mistake by Azarenka arrived at triple break point.  Yet, Azarenka responded to the challenged and leveled the game at deuce.  Then, with two tremendous volleys, Azarenka closed the gap to 3-4.  Once more, by forcing errors from Kirilenko, Azarenka was at triple break point.  The Belarusian grabbed the opening and squared the set at 4 all.  However, Azarenka duplicated her previous service game and found herself in a love-40 hole.  Just as before, aided by good serves and mistakes by Kirilenko, Azarenka climbed out of that predicament and guarded serve for a 5-4 edge.  Perhaps a little dejected by a 3 for 12 mark on break point, Kirilenko made three consecutive backhand errors to help Azarenka get to triple championship point.  Although Kirilenko managed to survive the first two, Azarenka thumped a forehand volley winner on the third match point to ultimately seal the victory.

In the second round, Azarenka needed three sets to get by Andrea Petkovic.  With that win after Serena Williams withdrew, Azarenka secured the eight and final spot at the season ending championships in Doha.  With Jelena Jankovic, the top seed, falling to qualifier Zarina Diyas in the second round, Kirilenko crushed the latter, Anna Chakvetadze and Vera Dushevina to advance to the final.  Because of those results, Kirilenko will rejoin the top 20; her prior career best ranking was 18 in July 2008.  By finishing the year with a strong performance, for Kirilenko 2011 will look a lot brighter.

Italy’s Francesca Schiavone and Belarus’ Olga Govortsova were unlikely picks to reach the final at the Kremlin Cup with Vera Zvonareva and defending champ Jelena Jankovic as the top two seeds at this premier tournament. Thus, this was especially sweet for Schiavone seeded eight as she made the most of her fortuitous circumstance in defeating Govortsova 6-3, 6-0 to claim her second and biggest title of her career.

The 29 year old Italian had been in her second 2009 final in Osaka just last week losing to Samantha Stosur.  Coming into Moscow, Schiavone had a horrendous final record, 1 for 10. On the other hand, for 21 year old Govortsova, this was her second WTA final although still with a title.  These competitors had split their prior two meetings.

After three uneventful service games by the players, serving at 40-15, Govortsova dumped two forehands into the net for deuce.  Then, with another crosscourt forehand error, Govortsova allowed Schiavone to get to break point. The Italian took a 3-1 lead after Govortsova mishandled Schiavone’s sliced backhand with a forehand error. However, Schiavone’s edge was brief. After placing a forehand up the line winner for two game points, Francesca double faulted and was unable to deal with a low ball causing her backhand volley to find the bottom of the net.  As a result of two forehand mistakes by Schiavone, Govortsova erased the break for 2-3.  Subsequently, in a marathon game with nine deuces, with a sensational forehand volley, Schiavone was once more with a break for 4-2. But, the Italian relinquished her advantage promptly with a sleuth of forehand miscues.  Yet, with a forehand up the line winner, a forehand crosscourt winner and a deep return which provoked an error from Govortsova, Schiavone had a couple of break chances.  Francesca capitalized when Olga’s forehand didn’t clear the net. This time, with a love game including a couple of aces, Schiavone wrapped up the set 6-3.

After the trainer attended to Govortsova’s back prior to starting the second set, with Schiavone’s amazing backhand dropshot winner, the Belarusian faced double break point. Subsequently, a backhand crosscourt error from Olga gave Francesca the break.  Schiavone consolidated with a second serve ace for 2-0.  Another mistake laden game by Govortsova resulted in triple break point for Schiavone.  A forehand miscue from the Belarusian extended the Italian’s edge to 3-0.  After a love service game, Schiavone broke one last time for 5-0.  With an ace, the Italian arrived at championship point.  Schiavone sealed the deal when Govortsova’s crosscourt forehand landed long.

With a second round win, Jankovic qualified for the final spot at the year ending championships in Doha which gets underway on Tuesday.  With Dinara Safina and Serena Williams neck in neck in the rankings, the Sony Ericsson championships will determine this season’s top dog.  The field is also comprised of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams.

For the third consecutive week, Serbian Jelena Jankovic faced a Russian in the finals. At the Kremlin Cup, her opponent was Vera Zvonareva. The result was the same, as Jankovic beat Zvonareva 6-2, 6-4.

Zvonareva’s first tier I final in front of a partisan crowd was not a delightful experience. After opening the match with a forehand crosscourt winner, Vera threw away a game point and with a bunch of errors gave Jankovic the break. Subsequently, Jelena literally pinned Vera into a corner resulting in four straight forehand errors for a love game 2-0. After blowing a 40-15 lead, Zvonareva finally got on the scoreboard after Jankovic produced a couple of forehand errors of her own 1-2. After holding serve comfortably, Jelena pressured Vera with her deep groundstrokes resulting in four consecutive forehand errors on the Russian’s best shot. Now, the Serb had a double break lead 4-1, then, dominated to take the first set.

Just as she had done in the first set, Jankovic started out the second by imposing her game. A sequence of unforced errors by Zvonareva gave her triple break point; Jankovic capitalized by curling in a forehand winner from way off the court. Despite being frustrated, Vera did not wither. After a backhand down the line by Jankovic misconnected, the players were at deuce. Later, Zvonareva connected on a sensational topspin lob for a break point which she converted 1-1. At that point, momentum appeared to have shifted. Moreover, Zvonareva obtained another break point when Jankovic misfired on a ball that skidded off the line. However, successive unforced errors by Vera equalized the set at 2-2. With a swinging volley and two forehand winners, Jankovic regained the lead 3-2. But refusing to cry uncle, Vera received another opportunity when her backhand hit the net and dropped in for a winner to give her double break point. Zvonareva converted and the players were back on serve 4-4. However, the ever-crafty Jankovic fabricated two backhand down the line winners for a double break which she capitalized on for a 5-4 lead. Then, with repeated unforced errors from Zvonareva, Jankovic secured the match.

Zvonareva can still rejoice. With this showing, she will climb up a notch in the rankings from 9 to 8. On the WTA, the ranking shuffle continues. With Serena Williams withdrawing from this event due to an ankle injury, Dinara Safina, Zvonareva’s opponent in the semifinals, will become the new number 2.

Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik dismissed the number one women’s doubles team Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-4 to take the cup. The men were also in action in Moscow. Russian Igor Kunitsyn defeated fellow countryman Marat Safin 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 to win his first ATP title.