Igor Kunitsyn and Jelena Jankovic capture Kremlin Cup titles

Igor Kunitsin, right, still appear to be shocked after his win against Marat Safin.

World no. 71, Igor Kunitsyn who played his first ATP final, upset former world number one Marat Safin 7-6 6-7 6-3 in an all-Russian Kremlin Cup final to clinch his maiden title on Sunday.

Earlier, world number one Jelena Jankovic overpowered Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-4 in the women’s final to win her third title in a row.

“This is beyond my wildest dreams,” Kunitsyn told reporters.

“I’d never have expected to beat Marat in the final in Moscow,” added the 27-year-old from Vladivostok, who took home $171,000 in winnings to more than double his earnings for the year.

Safin, seeded 7th and bidding to claim his first title in almost four years, reached the final without hitting a ball when his semi-final opponent, German Mischa Zverev, withdrew with illness on Saturday.

The big Russian has not tasted success since winning the Australian Open in January 2005.

“I have only myself to blame,” said Safin, who also lost to compatriot Nikolay Davydenko in the 2006 final in Moscow.

“If I had won the first set, it would have been a different story but he gained confidence as the match went on, played well in the end and deserved his victory.”

Love strucked Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, left, and Vera Zvonareva of Russia pose
with their trophies after a final match.

In the women's singles, Jankovic, making her debut in Moscow, broke Zvonareva twice to take the first set in just over half an hour.

“I’ve played her twice in the last two weeks so I really knew what to expect and was focused right from the start,” said Jankovic, who pocketed $196,900 for her efforts.

“I dominated in the first set but in the second my concentration slipped a little bit but I was able to get myself together in the end.”

The 23-year-old has been playing almost non-stop in the last couple of months and must keep going for another week before taking a well-deserved rest.

“I’ve worked really hard in the last three weeks, winning three titles in a row. It’s not easy,” she told reporters.

“But I still have my commitments to play next week in Zurich. Then I’ll take a two-week rest before playing (next month’s season-ending WTA Championships) in Doha.

“I’ve had a tough season, overcoming a number of injuries but I’m quite close to finishing the year ranked number one and I’m really proud of it,” she added.

Zvonareva, who reached her first Kremlin Cup final on her eighth appearance in Moscow, said she could do little to stop Jankovic.

“It seems she had an answer for everything I tried,” the 24-year-old Muscovite told a news conference.

Ross Hutchins, left, and Stephen Huss, middle, pose with their runner-up trophies beside
Sergiy Stakhovsky, right, with his winners trophy (without his partner Potito Starace),
after the doubles final.

In the men's doubles final, first-time pairing of Sergiy Stakhovsky and Potito Starace captured their first ATP doubles title with a 7-6(4), 2-6, 10-6 victory over Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins.

The 22-year-old Stakhovsky, currently no. 167 in the Stanford ATP Doubles Rankings, was appearing in his first ATP doubles final. Earlier in the season he captured his maiden ATP singles title in his first final at Zagreb.

The 27-year-old Starace has now won three titles in four finals. He captured two titles in 2007 at Kitzbuhel and Acapulco and was runner-up at Acapulco in 2006.

“We played unbelievable doubles. We only signed up at the last moment and we can play maybe the next tournament then we’ll see," said Starace.

Nadia Petrova, left, and Katerina Srebotnik, 2nd left, pose with their trophies after winning the doubles against Cara Black, 2nd right, and Liezel Huber, right.

In the women's doubles final, top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber took on no.4 seeds Nadia Petrova and Katarina Srebotnik.

Petrova and Srebotnik pulled off the upset in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, for their first title as a team.

It was Petrova's 15th career Tour doubles title and Srebotnik's 19th.

(Images via Yahoo! Sport)

Marat Safin scores a new love interest

Lana from Great Tennis Photos reported that Marat Safin was spotted in Moscow with his new girlfriend Nastya Osipova, a 24-year-old, Russian pop singer.

Well, I don't know if she can sing or dance well, but I definitely know that she needs some real serious makeover.

The tan, the dress and the make-up are just not right! (Screaming on top of my lungs!)

With his good looks, Safin could have just picked one of the girls performed at the Players Party at the Kremlin Cup recently.


Or one of the hot Russian women players on this table!


Nastya Osipova is definitely a lucky girl!

(Via Great Tennis Photos, menstennisforums.com)

Rafael Nadal receives no. 1 trophy at Madrid

The no. 1 trophy is finally presented to Rafael Nadal today in the Pista Central (central court) of the Masters Series of Madrid.

The tennis player from Majorca reached the first place in the ranking on 18th August.

"Rafa's achievement of the no. 1 place in the South African Airways ATP Ranking is the reward for a fantastic career in a complicated year."

"His great season on clay, where he was undefeated, and his good results on grass this year have confirmed him as a great player on all surfaces."

"Putting an end to Federer's reign has been a small great deed but, now, the best player in the world and all tennis fans hope that both players keep competing with each other in one of the strongest rivalries in the sports world," commented Etienne de Villiers, ATP's CEO who presented the award to Nadal.

The Masters Series of Madrid will be the first ATP tournament Nadal plays in Spain as no. 1.

"We are delighted that the ATP has chosen our court to hand over the trophy. Rafa is loved in every country, but here specially. Tennis public in Madrid has always supported him," commented Manuel Santana, tournament director.

The ceremony will be accompanied by the acrobatic show of "Dream2".

Today, the matches of the tournament's final draw start as well. If the draw is favourable chances are good that Nadal will make his debut in the singles draw on Tuesday 14th October at 8 p.m.

He will also play in the doubles draw with Carlos Moya.

(Image by PEDRO ARMESTRE/AFP/Getty Images)

Tennis players could boycott 2009 WTA Tour, Dinara Safina speaks out

The top players could boycott next year's WTA Tour if their questions were left unanswered, world no. 3 Dinara Safina said on Saturday.

The Russian said the players were unhappy with the changes being made to the schedule.

"If they (WTA) don't listen to what we have to say we might even choose to boycott the new tour," Safina told reporters.

"They said the leading players would have to play in designated tournaments while lower-ranked players would be able to enter any event they like. There's no logic in that at all.

"What if all the top players choose to enter the same tournament? What will the WTA do then? We want to know," added Safina.

Under the so-called Road Map 2010, 26 Tier One and Tier Two events will be combined into 20 Premiere tournaments with players committed to play in at least 10.

Four $4.5 million tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Beijing will be mandatory for all players who qualify.

Below the mandatory events will be five $2 million stops in Canada, Dubai, Rome, Cincinnati and Tokyo, of which the top-ranked players must play at least four.

The WTA has committed to having at least seven of the world's top 10 players at each of these events. Players will complete their schedules by competing in at least one or two $700,000 events.

"There are a lot of grey areas," said Safina.

"No one seems to understand which tournaments you can play and which you can't."

Her thoughts were echoed by Zvonareva and compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova.

"I was told only two players from the top 10 could enter a smaller tournament like the Kremlin Cup next year," said world no. 7 Kuznetsova.

"What if (world no. 1) Jelena Jankovic and Serena or Venus (Williams) want to play here?"

"Then all the top Russian players, and there are five of us in the top 10, will not be able to play in their home tournament. That's nonsense."

Safina, who will rise to a career-high number two when the new rankings are released on Monday, said the leading players will get together at next month's season-ending WTA Championships in Doha to share their concerns.

WTA officials were not available for comment.

(Via Reuters UK, Image by Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe)