Estoril Open 2007 News and Events

Germany's Greta Arn saved two match points to become only the second qualifier to win the women’s title in the 10-year history of the Estoril Open on Sunday.

Arn overcame early nerves to defeat Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(3) in two hours and 23 minutes for her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour crown.

At 28 years of age, Arn becomes the oldest Tour singles titlist this year and at No. 176 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings the lowest-ranked winner.

Arn saved two match points, while serving at 4-5 in the third set.

Azarenka, currently No. 68 in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings, looked on course to win her own maiden singles title when the 17-year-old led by one set and 1-1.

However, Arn regained her composure and won the next nine games to take a 3-0 lead in the third set.

But the final was far from over.

Azarenka stormed into a 5-4 lead, where she let slip two match points.

The pair then exchanged breaks of serve, before Arn proved too strong in the tie-break opening up a 5-1 lead. She wrapped up the third set in 80 minutes.

Arn follows Lucie Safarova, who captured the 2005 title over Na Li of China, as the only qualifier to win the Estoril Open women's championship.

She is also the second German to win, after Anke Huber defeated Nathalie Dechy of France 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 in the 2000 final.

Having won through the qualification competition, Arn has dropped just two sets in eight matches over the last nine days. She now has an 8-3 record in 2007.

Prior to this week, Budapest-born Arn had only reached one career quarterfinal (2001-Basel) on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. She ranked a career-high No. 81 on July 22, 2002.

Azarenka had been aiming to become the youngest Tour singles titlist this year, a record held by 19-year-old Tatiana Golovin of France in Amelia Island.

The 2005 Australian and US Open junior champion was contesting her 18th career tournament on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

Prior to this week, the Belarussian had never won a main draw match on clay and her best results at Tour-level had been semifinal exits at 2005 Guangzhou and 2006 Tashkent.

Azarenka, currently No. 68 in the world, falls to 11-6 in main draw Tour action this season.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID

Arn: “The feeling you can not explain. I am happy and I am just enjoying it, it is just so nice, you start to believe in yourself more and it is a positive feeling and positive feelings change you.

“I was trying to give her balls she does not like, the high balls I needed to hit to keep her out of rhythm, she can hit the ball hard.”

“I win today with my experience, she is young and she made some mistakes that an older player may not make.”

Azarenka [on dropping two match points]: “Well I am disappointed, I can’t bring it back, I wish I could.

“I was so nervous and it was my first chance for a title. I just need experience on how to handle it. It was my first final and it was very different nerves for me.”

[On Arn]: “She was very consistent and tough, she got me out of my game.”

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Andreea Ehritt-Vanc and Anastassia Rodionova captured the doubles crown on Saturday. More