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Wozniacki battles for Brussels glory

Caroline Wozniacki was given a stern test by Shuai Peng in the final of the Brussels Open © PA Photos

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Caroline Wozniacki won the battle of the two most in-form players on the WTA Tour, beating Shuai Peng to clinch the Brussels Open on Saturday.

Wozniacki has won more main draw matches (38) than any other player on the Tour this season, but she faced a rival in Peng who was her closest rival, having triumphed on 29 occasions in 2011. The result was a hugely entertaining affair that fell the way of the world No. 1 2-6 6-3 6-3.

Peng had already created one shock by dumping out No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva in the semi-finals, and she made an ideal start against Wozniacki, breaking in the opening game of the match. Her joy was short-lived though as the Dane restored parity immediately.

The duo had squared off on three previous occasions, with Wozniacki winning the most recent two, but she certainly did not have things her own way in Brussels as Peng broke for a second time to lead 3-2. Wozniacki's serve was completely devoid of rhythm as she hit five double-faults in the opening set alone, the last of which handed Peng her third break and - effectively - the set.

This was Peng's fourth WTA Tour final, and easily the biggest of her career. She is yet to lift a Tour title, but she found herself dictating to Wozniacki, creating seven more breaks points at the start of the second set. None were taken though, and the top seed punished her by powering into a 4-1 lead that resulted in her taking the second set.

The resistance of Peng was not over though, and she matched Wozniacki break for break to move to 3-3 in the decider, before finally running out of steam as the world's leading player advanced to Roland Garros in triumphant fashion.

At the Strasbourg Invitational, Andrea Petkovic was handed a victory in the least satisfying of manners, after Marion Bartoli was forced to retire from the match. The German player claimed her second WTA Tour title, but it arrived in undesirable circumstances after a disappointing climax to Saturday's final.

Petkovic battled hard to break three times in the opening set, taking it 6-4. She then embarked on what was expected to be another tight battle for the second set, winning the opening game, but then a thigh injury struck to force Bartoli to concede. The French player is now a severe doubt for Roland Garros, which begins on Sunday.

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