Errani routs Strycova to clinch Dubai title

AFP, DUBAI: Sara Errani defeated Barbora Strycova 6-0, 6-2 on Saturday to win the Dubai Tennis Championships, three years after first reaching the final. The Italian will rise back into the top 20 as a result of her comprehensive victory in 66 minutes, according to WTA calculations.
Strycova made a stand at the end, saving four match points over the last two games before drilling a forehand out to lose for the sixth time in seven meetings with Errani.
Errani, who won the first eight games, lost the 2013 final in Dubai to Petra Kvitova. She now owns nine career titles.
She matched her last title win a year ago in Rio and said that she had seriously considered skipping Dubai to rest.
“I came here thinking maybe I should have rested, just stay home and recover,” said the 2012 French Open runner-up.
“But we came here, and every day was really tough, every match from the beginning. There were a lot of tough moments. But of course, to win a tournament, you have to pass a lot of also bad moments.”
Errani ran off the first eight games with Czech Strycova barely getting a look in. The 29-year-old underdog got a round of applause as she finally broke her duck by winning a game to trail 6-0, 2-1.
But the success was short-lived, with Errani continuing her momentum to reach 5-1.
She was briefly sidetracked as Strycova saved a match point to hold for 2-5.
In the next game, Errani encountered troubles in closing out the win, finally going through to the trophy on her fifth match point as Strycova sent a forehand out.

Errani routs Strycova to clinch Dubai title

AFP, DUBAI: Sara Errani defeated Barbora Strycova 6-0, 6-2 on Saturday to win the Dubai Tennis Championships, three years after first reaching the final. The Italian will rise back into the top 20 as a result of her comprehensive victory in 66 minutes, according to WTA calculations. Strycova made a stand at the end, saving four match points over the last two games before drilling a forehand out to lose for the sixth time in seven meetings with Errani. Errani, who won the first eight games, lost the 2013 final in Dubai to Petra Kvitova. She now owns nine career titles. She matched her last title win a year ago in Rio and said that she had seriously considered skipping Dubai to rest. I came here thinking maybe I should have rested, just stay home and recover, said the 2012 French Open runner-up. But we came here, and every day was really tough, every match from the beginning. There were a lot of tough moments. But of course, to win a tournament, you have to pass a lot of also bad moments. Errani ran off the first eight games with Czech Strycova barely getting a look in. The 29-year-old underdog got a round of applause as she finally broke her duck by winning a game to trail 6-0, 2-1. But the success was short-lived, with Errani continuing her momentum to reach 5-1. She was briefly sidetracked as Strycova saved a match point to hold for 2-5. In the next game, Errani encountered troubles in closing out the win, finally going through to the trophy on her fifth match point as Strycova sent a forehand out.