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Kunitsyn and Jankovic win Kremlin Cup tennis titles

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-10-13 10:10

MOSCOW - Unseeded Igor Kunitsyn stunned Russian compatriot, and former world number one, Marat Safin to win the Kremlin Cup on Sunday in a three-set marathon which gave the 71st-ranked player his first career title.

Serbia's Jelena Jankovic (L) stands next to Russia's Vera Zvonareva during an award ceremony after their Kremlin Cup final tennis match in Moscow October 12, 2008. [Agencies]

Jelena Jankovic won the women's title in the joint 2.4-million-dollar ATP-WTA tournament with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Russia's Vera Zvonareva.

Safin, who was seeded seventh here, produced 21 aces but all in vain as Kunitsyn won 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in two hours 49 minutes to deny his mercurial countryman a first title since winning the Australian Open in 2005.

"Everybody knows Marat (Safin) is better than me but today I'm the winner," Kunitsyn said.

"It's terrific to win my first title in front of my home fans and I hope I would be able to defend it here next year."

Russia's Marat Safin falls during his Kremlin Cup final tennis match against compatriot Igor Kunitsyn in Moscow October 12, 2008. [Agencies]

Both Safin, who played his first final since losing the 2006 Kremlin Cup final to Nikolay Davydenko, and Kunitsyn, who was playing his first final, kept their serves throughout the first set.

In a tiebreak that followed Kunitsyn was more accurate to gain a one-set lead in one hour six minutes.

Kunitsyn broke midway through the second set but Safin broke back immediately to level, forcing another tiebreak, which he won to level at one set all after two hours five minutes.

In the deciding set, Kunitsyn broke in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead, which he kept to clinch his first ATP title.

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