|
Cincinnati: Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna had to be content with a runners-up finish at the Cincinnatio Open as they lost the summit clash in straight sets to Sweden’s Robert Lindstedt and Romania’s Horia Tecau.
The sixth seed pair lost 4-6, 4-6 to the fourth seeded rival team in the summit clash of the $2,825,280 hard court event, last night. Bhupathi and Bopanna were playing their second final of the season. They had won a title in a Dubai ATP event in February.
In women’s singles, Li Na showed plenty of character as she fought back to beat German Angelique Kerber 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 to claim the title.
The victory ends Li’s run of three defeats in finals this year, including a loss to Petra Kvitova in Montreal last week, and is a major boost for her ahead of the U.S. Open later this month.
The 30-year-old’s win was her sixth career title and her first since her French Open triumph last year and came after the Chinese teamed up with Argentine Carlos Rodriguez, the coach of multiple grand slam winning Belgian Justine Henin, earlier this week.
Li won nine straight games from a set and a game down to take the second set and then a 3-0 lead in the third and she gave plenty of credit to her new coach. “Thanks Carlos, you are good,” she said during the prize-giving ceremony. I think we have a good beginning to our work. Before the match we talked a lot about the game and also about today,” she told reporters.
“Working with him I feel more comfortable, relaxed, not stressful.” Li consulted with Rodriguez after the first set where she had failed to break through Kerber’s solid defence. “He told me to concentrate on my own game and some other things. He’s my secret weapon,” she said.
Kerber, looking for her third title this year, appeared shell-shocked by the turnaround and was close to tears during discussions with her coach. “She was playing so well. I tried to hit the ball deep but she was bringing back every ball and also playing the ball so deep herself, so I couldn't do anything,” Kerber said.
(Agencies)
| 
