INDIAN WELLS, California (AP) -Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic consigned second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova to runner-up at the Pacific Life Open for a second straight year by winning Sunday's final 6-4, 6-3.
Ivanovic claimed her sixth career WTA Tour title with another blazing forehand winner after 81 minutes.
Kuznetsova lost her third final of the year, following Sydney and Dubai. The Russian, a former U.S. Open champion, has lost eight of her last nine finals, and the lone title last August at New Haven came on an injury retirement.
Ivanovic, the 20-year-old Serb who reached the Australian Open final, pushed Kuznetsova twice off the court into forced errors for the 5-4 break then served a love game for the first set.
In the second, the two traded early breaks but Kuznetsova was under increasing pressure and lost the last four games.
Kuznetsova, runner-up to Daniela Hantuchova last year, ended Maria Sharapova's 18-match winning start to this season in the semifinals on Friday.
