Top seeded Kim Clijsters claimed her first title since October when she defeated Russian number four seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-5, 6-2 in the final of the WTA Warsaw Cup on Sunday.
The Russian, who was playing the 300th singles match of her career, has now lost three consecutive Warsaw finals, after falling to Venus Williams in 2004 and Justine Henin-Hardenne last year.
Clijsters said: "I'm happy that I won, but I'm more happy with the way that I played all week.
"I built up my points really well and was patient until I felt like I could go for a winner. I was very consistent throughout the whole match and we had some really good rallies. I was really enjoying myself out there."
The match between the last two US Open champions promised much but failed to live up to expectations, with both players making plenty of unforced errors and all but two games of the second set featuring breaks of serve.
Clijsters, who won the tournament without conceding a set, used her big forehand to pressure her opponent, but never looked secure as Kuznetsova used the angles well. A backhand error gave Clijsters a break for 2-1, but Clijsters soon lost her advantage and was broken for 3-3 when Kuznetsova executed a winning crosscourt forehand.
As both players sought a winning edge, Kuznetsova fought off two break points at 5-5 before hitting a forehand wide to leave Clijsters serving for the set. Even then the Belgian struggled, finally claiming the 14-point game with a forehand winner after holding off two break points.
A dispirited Kuznetsova then dropped the opening game of the second set to love, but Clijsters failed to build on her lead with the next two games both going against serve. Clijsters then held for 3-1 and a big forehand forced Kuznetsova into a backhand error to give her a further break for 4-1.
After breaks in the next two games, Clijsters needed three match points before closing out the contest with yet another winning forehand. "I was trying to play well and I didn't," said Kuznetsova.
"My forehand is my best shot but today I wasn't playing it very well.
"I'm not happy that I lost, but I'm pretty okay with the result. I was happy to be in the final because it was a tough draw, the best ever in Warsaw.
"I didn't play well in the final, but you cannot always come there and win."
Clijsters, who badly injured her knee and hip last year in Berlin, will this year skip the event and use Rome as her last warm-up tournament for Roland Garros.
"It's always nice to win matches before going into a Grand Slam, but there's still three weeks and so much can happen," she said.
"I just have to keep working, maintaining my game. Rome will be my next tournament and that will be my next goal."
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