Maria Kirilenko after winning the Sunfeast Open on Sunday. A Telegraph picture

Calcutta: One feels a little sorry for the Calcuttans. Owing to a depression over the Northwest Bay of Bengal, the city received a massive amount of rain on Sunday. Those who braved the steady downpour and waterlogged streets surely became more depressed after witnessing such a one-sided final at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

But that can’t be Maria Kirilenko’s problem. She didn’t actually practice meditation in the middle of the court, but with a Zen-like calmness achieved the second WTA Tour title of her career — the 2007 Sunfeast Open.

Poor Mariya Koryttseva. She didn’t play badly. This was the Ukrainian world No.164’s maiden final on the Tour and she gave a good account of herself, fighting back after total annihilation in the first set. But competitiveness was rendered redundant by an obvious difference in class.

The new, improved Masha hardly put a foot wrong in one hour and seven minutes on court, winning 6-0, 6-2. The kind of tennis Stella McCartney’s muse has displayed over the course of this week, it won’t surprise if the ranking of the world No.35 goes for a dramatic northward revision.

Her success this year over top 20 players such as Jelena Jankovic and Lucie Safarova (San Diego), Marion Bartoli (Los Angeles) and Daniela Hantuchova has coincided with her association with coach Eric Van Harpen.

She admitted it during the post match press conference.

“I think he has made a lot of difference to my game… The way I execute big points… I believe more in myself now.”

Point noted. The difference has been mental.

The match started with Koryttseva unleashing her demonic forehand. In fact, the first three games saw the Ukrainian take the initiative, the risks and create more openings. Twice she pushed the 20-year-old Russian to deuce on her serve, but importantly, failed to convert.

The trouble with a proactive attitude is one has to get the game spot on. Besides, in the title round of a WTA event, it helps to wait and watch for a while. Having won the Beijing Open in 2005 and being a finalist in Hyderabad the year before, Kirilenko is not short on experience, unlike her opponent.

The Russian bided her time, let Koryttseva make a string of unforced errors and moved in for the kill.

The Ukrainian, with left thigh heavily taped, tried to hit a winner every ball. The rallies were short because with less than 100 per cent fitness, Koryttseva couldn’t risk bigger ones.

Down 0-1 and serving, the girl from Harkov committed a costly unforced error. The Muscovite got the break in the second game. She followed it up with breaks in the fourth and sixth and held the rest for a 6-0 finish. Touché.

With deceptive quickness, the fleet-footed Russian glided over the court, at times almost anticipating Koryttseva’s main and sole weapon — the killer forehand.

A surprise break up early in second set, Koryttseva survived a brutal service game to hold and go 2-0 up. That was all she could do.

She appeared short on confidence in the biggest match of her life so far and failed to construct points, hitting blindly with all her might. The winners came sporadically, but so did the unforced errors, with alarming regularity.

Kirilenko never let the 22-year-old enjoy a free ride on the forehand side. Unlike Anne Keothavong in the quarters, the blonde Russian hit the backhand lines with ridiculous ease.

The match was over by the fourth game when on Koryttseva’s serve, Kirilenko fired a down-the-line forehand to go up 15-40. Even though the Ukrainian saved one, she made an error to give the break back.

The belief that was missing from Koryttseva’s game was writ large on Kirilenko’s. She never faltered and sealed the rest of the games to claim the title.

The US-Russian pair of Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva later clinched the doubles title. Koryttseva was second time unlucky. Along with Alberta Brianti of Italy, she lost 1-6, 4-6 to the top seeds.