Estoril Open News and Events

Maria Kirilenko

© JLS

Russian Maria Kirilenko became Sunday the first player since Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik in 1999 to clinch the singles and doubles title at the Estoril Open.

The second seed captured her third career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over unseeded Czech Iveta Benesova.

Kirilenko is only the second woman's player to capture singles and doubles title in the same year at the Estadio Nacional. In 1999 Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik first achieved the feat.

The 21-year-old Kirilenko is the first Russian winner in the 11-year history of the clay-court tournament and collects €15,000 in prize money. On Saturday she partnered Flavia Pennetta to the doubles crown.

Despite a difference of 100 places in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings it was World No. 132 Benesova who started the stronger and led 3-2, with a break of serve in the third game, when World No. 32 Kirilenko received a medical time-out to put strapping on her right thigh.

Upon the resumption of play, Benesova had lost her concentration and dropped her serve to love. While the pair exchanged service breaks to 4-4, Kirilenko was in the ascendency.

Steady rain, which has plagued the Estoril Open everyday since Wednesday, fell while Benesova served trailing 4-5 in the first set. Play was suspended with Kirilenko on set point, with 50 minutes on the clock.

After a 41-minute delay, which saw the Central court covered in tarpaulin covers, Kirilenko returned to wrap up her first set point.

Kirilenko put her foot on the gas in the second set with breaks of serve in the second and eighth games to collect her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title since Kolkata in September 2007.

Benesova won just 17 of 45 points in the second set – 12 on serve and five on return of serve. The 25-year-old was also the Estoril Open runner-up in 2004 (l. to Loit).