Elena Dementieva clinched the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships title at the first attempt as she overcame her compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova 4-6 6-3 6-2 in a largely disappointing error strewn final.

The world number 3 who came into the final as the firm favourite being the higher ranked player and also because she has a 5-3 head to head record against Dementieva, having won the last three.

However, her inability to control her howitzer forehand that all too often produced howlers at important moments cost her dear. The fact that she only managed to hold serve 5 times in a contest that lasted well over 2 hours says it all. Kuznetsova was simply unconvincing at the best of times and Dementieva took full advantage to claim her ninth tour title and advance one place in the rankings to number 10. Kuznetsova will remain at 3.

The opening set saw Kuznetsova get off to a flyer, breaking to go ahead 2-0. Dementieva broke straight back and thereafter both girls struggled to hold onto their deliveries. Serving at 5-3, Kuznetsova dropped serve to 30 with a sloppy forehand error into the bottom of the net. She bounced back in the next game however with a series of winners to break to love and claim the set 6-4 in 50 minutes.

Kuznetsova threatened to take complete control of the match early on in the second set, but failed to convert a break point opportunity in the second game and from there struggled to regain her authority. Dropping serve twice thereafter, the title favourite conceded the second set 6-3 and then found herself 0-3 down in the decider.

At this point with the title almost in her sights Dementieva threw in a loose service game to give her struggling opponent some hope. Just when it looked as if Kuznetsova was regaining the ascendancy, she promptly dropped serve having held two points for 3-3 with a miserable double fault, and from there it was all Dementieva who with a run of three games took the match at the first opportunity, thumping a forehand return for a clean winner off a woefully short Kuznetsova second serve that begged to be punished.

Shrieking with delight, she dropped to her knees in triumph having claimed one of the the biggest titles of her career.

"I feel so happy", an elated Dementieva said after picking up the trophy and $250,000 in prize money. "My first time here and such a big win", she added.

"I played really good; my best match for long time.

"The first set I didn't make her move enough, just going crosscourt on the backhand all the time. I realised that I had to make her move and go more for forehand winners; attack her a lot.

"In the past I have been too defensive, today I was more aggressive and that was the difference."

A disappointed Kuznetsova who had seen her best chance of winning her first Dubai title vanish, was at a loss to explain her erratic play.

"I'm very disappointed; maybe it was because we played at night and I was not seeing the ball", she said. "I didn't watch the ball properly; I didn't do much and was missing.

"I was rushing and didn't work the ball properly. I've got the game but couldn't put it together. I don't know if the problem is mental or physical.

"I was trying so hard to put something on the ball but it didn't work."

Kuznetsova saved just 2 out of a total of 11 break points (18%) which illustrates just how vulnerable she was on serve.

She will now head off to her training camp in Barcelona where hopefully she can recover and find a way to solve the conundrum of her mercurial game.

Andre Jones

Dubai