Vera Zvonareva clinches DFS Classic title

BIRMINGHAM: Russian Vera Zvonareva finally won a WTA Tour event after a 17-month drought when she defeated America's Jamea Jackson 7-6 (14/12), 7-6 (7/5) to clinch the DFS Classic here on Sunday.        

Zvonareva, 21, was always in control against her teenage opponent and held her nerve in two tie-breaks to land her fourth career title and a first on grass.    

Jackson was playing her first tour final but the 19-year-old was unable to recreate the heroic performances that had seen off former world number one Maria Sharapova and fourth seed Elena Likhovtseva.   

Zvonareva, who twice required treatment for a nose bleed early on, missed a set point chance on the Jackson serve at 6-5 to send the first set into a tie-break.         

She wasted three more set-points before her opponent did the same with four on the spin. Finally at 13-12 Jackson missed a forehand on Zvonareva's sixth set point to end a 79-minute set.    

Zvonareva took advantage of that swing in momentum and raced into a 4-0 lead at the start of the second set. But with the finish line in sight she made several unforced errors to hand Jackson a way back into the match.   

Jackson won five consecutive games to take the lead but Zvonareva came back to go 6-5 in front before the set went to another tie-break. Zvonareva was in no mood to hang about this time and clinched the title with her first match point.