Peng clinches Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge crown
DUBAI: Two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai of China defeated Viktoria Kuzmova 6-3, 6-0 in the inal to clinch the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge title at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai on Saturday.
Playing for the first time in the tournament, Peng dominated the proceedings from the beginning and just needed 67 minutes to brush aside his Slovak rival.
Khalaf Al Habtoor, Founder and Chairman of the Habtoor Group presented the trophies in the presence of Nasser Al Marzouqi, General Secretary of Tennis Emirates and Tournament Director Noura Al Badawi.
In the first set, both the players exchanged few breaks early. Peng later took control and got a break in the eighth game to gain 5-3 lead. She later pocketed the first set by winning the next game.
The Chinese got break early in the second set and never looked back. Giving no room to her opponent to make a comeback, Peng took the second set 6-0 to seal the title.
She has won two WTA singles titles in her career — as well as two Grand Slam women’s doubles trophies, at Wimbledon in 2013 and Roland Garros in 2014, both alongside Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei.
Earlier, in the doubles final played, the Russia duo of Alena Fomina and Valentina Ivakhnenko beat Reka-luca Jani and Cornelia Lister 7-5, 6-2.