Richard Gasquet of France poses with his trophy after beating Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in their final match at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Russia, yesterday. (EPA)

AFP/Moscow

In the WTA final, Romanian Simona Halep captured her fifth title of the year, defeating Australia’s Samantha Stosur 7-6 (7/1), 6-2.

Gasquet, who is ranked 10th in the world, won in a tight three-setter 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hour 23 minutes to record his second victory over Kukushkin in as many meetings.

Gasquet and Kukushkin both looked focused from the start, holding their serves until the seventh game, when the 25-year-old Kazakh broke to take the opening set in 43 minutes.

In the second Gasquet, who is trying to secure one of four remaining spots in the ATP World Tour Finals, broke twice to level at 1-1 after one hour 26 minutes on court, while Kukushkin broke back once.

No big serves were made in the deciding set before the seventh game when Kukushkin, who is 102 in the ATP rankings, broke. But Gasquet maintained his grip to take three consecutive games, the set and the match.

With that win Gasquet leapfrogged a compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the ATP Race To London to become also the second French winner of the ATP Kremlin Cup after Paul-Henri Mathieu who won the title in 2002.

In the women’s final the 22-year-old fifth seed Halep—ranked 18 in the world—took 1hr 41minutes to defeat her seventh-seeded opponent and 2011 US Open champion and record only her second win in five meetings with the Australian veteran Stosur.

“It’s an incredible year for me and I am enjoying every moment of it,” said Halep, who is projected to break into the Top 15 after her latest win.

“Now I already have all of my thoughts about the Tournament of Champions in Sofia (the second tier end of season tournament, the top event taking place in Istanbul next week).

“It’s a very special event for me and I’m preparing thoroughly for it and hope to perform there at my top level.”

Veteran Haas downs Haase for second Vienna title

Tommy Haas won his second Austrian Open title yesterday, a dozen years after claiming his first, with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 defeat of Robin Haase.

Victory over the Dutchman took two and a quarter hours and denied Haase his third trophy in Austria after twice winning on clay at Kitzbuehel.

Haas first won in Vienna in 2001 having lost the final the year before to Tim Henman.

“Winning a title doesn’t come around that often, so it’s a great feeling having done it twice this year,” said Haas, the father of a young daughter whom he said is one of the main motivations keeping him out on court at the age of 35.

“It’s a great feeling to have done it here again. This is really a special place for me, it’s all a great feeling for sure.”