Kuznetsova captures Pilot Pen when Szavay retires
NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova won her first title this season when qualifier Agnes Szavay retired with a back injury Saturday while leading 6-4, 0-3 at the Pilot Pen. This was the third consecutive match Kuznetsova won because her opponent quit.
Kuznetsova had lost four other finals this year -- at Doha, Indian Wells, Berlin and Rome. She is 9-11 in WTA Tour finals. Her previous title was in September 2006.
"Finally, it feels good," the Russian said. "I was playing some good tennis the past weeks when I made it to the final, but then I couldn't make it in the final."
Szavay was playing her eighth match in nine days, and had been battling back problems most of the week.
"At the beginning it was just a little muscle pain and nothing serious, and day by day it was worse and worse," she said.
Kuznetsova won her third-round match when Francesca Schiavone dropped out with an ankle injury and advanced to the final when Elena Dementieva was hit by a stomach ailment in their semifinal.
"It's really strange," Kuznetsova said. "The only thing I can say, most of the times, I've been winning. Today was the closest match, like I was close to lose. I was kind of getting my game back during the match, then she got tired."
Szavay led 5-3 in the first set when Kuznetsova hit a crosscourt shot. Running for backhand, the Hungarian reached back to return the shot and immediately grabbed her back.
But Szavay said the pain had been building before that shot.
"I guess it was every point," she said. "It was worse and worse and just, it's very painful."
She took a medical timeout during the next changeover, and received more treatment between sets. But it became clear after three games of the second set that she could not continue.
The 41st-ranked Szavay also retired from doubles competition earlier in the tournament, citing back problems.
It's the second straight year of a retirement in the final. Justine Henin won in 2006 when Lindsay Davenport retired in the middle of their match.
Kuznetsova takes home $88,265 for the win. Szavay earned $47,125 and will rise to 32nd in the rankings next week.