Dementieva takes Kremlin Cup crown

MOSCOW, Russia -- Elena Dementieva shrugged off the loss of the opening set to outplay Serena Williams to claim the Kremlin Cup title in Moscow for the first time on Sunday.

Fourth seed Williams looked in control as she took the opening set but only won two further games as Dementieva swept to a 5-7 6-1 6-1 victory.

Dementieva, who was unseeded, was winning her second title of 2007 and will move back into the world top 10.

It was her first victory over the powerful American in five meetings and looked unlikely as Williams took a topsy turvy first set with three breaks of service.

Australian Open champion Williams paid for her erratic play in the second set which Dementieva secured with three breaks of service.

Williams looked set to take control of the deciding set with an immediate break of the notoriously weak Dementieva service, but it was to prove the last game that she won as further errors undermined her challenge.

The fifth game of the decider proved pivotal as Williams took a 30-15 lead only for her Russian opponent to win a lengthy baseline rally on the way to confirming her advantage.

A total of 59 unforced errors for world ranked number seven Williams told the story as Dementieva pocketed the winning purse of $182,000.

"She played really unbelievable," Williams said. "She should try to play like that more often."

In other WTA Tour action on Sunday, Flavia Pennetta of Italy beat Chan Yung-Jan 6-1 6-3 to win the Bangkok Open.

Seventh seed Pennetta, who shocked Venus Williams to reach the final, was too strong for the 18-year-old from Taiwan in a match which spanned five hours due to rain interruptions.

Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the has pulled out of the Linz Open starting on October 22 due to her ongoing shoulder problems.

The Russian, who is a big doubt for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in November, had already withdrawn from next week's Zurich Open.

Seeded second, she was knocked out of the Kremlin Cup in the second round on Wednesday in her first match in six weeks. E-mail to a friend

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