Mona Barthel upsets top seed Sara Errani, bags Open GDF title

Paris, France (4E Sports) – Unseeded Mona Barthel capped her giant-killing run by claiming the biggest victim of all, beating top seed Sara Errani, 7-5, 7-6 (4) Sunday to claim the Open GDF Suez title.

Barthel, ranked 45th in the world, hit 53 winners but committed 50 unforced errors but her efforts were enough to give her a second WTA title.

“Even though I was up a set and 5-2, I knew she’s a fighter and doesn’t give any points away,” said Barthel, who defeated fifth seed Roberta Vinci and third seed Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals to set up the meeting with Errani.

“I was a little bit nervous but I just tried to keep stepping in and going for my shots, and I had to keep telling myself I was still in a position to win the match despite all of those things,” Barthel added.

Errani, who hit 16 winners and 18 unforced errors, is now 6-5 in WTA finals.

“Mona serves so well, plays so well from the baseline and physically moves so well – I just couldn’t beat her today,” said Errani.

Errani, however, immediately bounced back when she won the doubles event with Vinci, defeating the pair of second seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Liezel Huber in the final, 6-1, 6-1.

The Italians now have two WTA doubles titles this year, having won the Australian Open, and 15 overall.

Meanwhile, second seed Maria Kirilenko defeated fifth seed Sabine Lisicki, 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (1), to bag the PTT Pattaya Open title Sunday in Pattaya City, Thailand.

“I feel great – to win a title is always special, but it’s even more pleasure when you win such a tough one,” said Kirilenko, who now has six WTA titles to her credit. “It was tough. Sabine played very well. I’m very happy to win this title.”

In the Davis Cup, Italy, Argentina, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, France and Serbia advanced to the World Group quarterfinal round while the United States was forced to a rubbermatch by Brazil.

Italy hurdled Croatia, 3-2, while Argentina completed a 5-0 whitewash over Germany to seal a quarterfinal date with the French, who swept Israel, 5-0.

The Czechs edged Switzerland, 3-2; the Kazakhs beat Austria, 3-1; and Serbia escaped with a 3-2 win over Belgium.

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