Tennis: Poland`s Linette annexes NECC-ITF title

Pune: Poland`s top seed Magda Linette kept her composure to beat Kazakhstan`s unseeded Kamila Kerimbayeva 7-5, 7-6 (5) and win the singles title in the NECC-ITF women`s $25,000 tournament at the Deccan Gymkhana here Saturday.

In a hard-fought battle between two players hitting big from both flanks, Linette stayed solid when it mattered most, especially towards the closing stages of both the sets, to win the winner`s cheque of $2,940 and 50 WTA ranking points. Kerimbayeva had to settle for $1,666 and 34 ranking points. After both the players exchanged early breaks, Linette broke the Kazakh in the ninth game to go up 5-4. She was unable to hold her serve though as Kerimbayeva made it 5-5. Linette got another break to go up 6-5, and this time managed to serve out the set with ease. Kerimbayeva came out all guns blazing in the second set and raced to a 5-1 lead in no time. Linette, however, started to get her rhythm back and broke her rival twice in a row to level at 5-5. The top seed then broke Kerimbayeva again in the 11th, but once again failed to serve out the set. She held her nerve though to win the tie-break 7-5, and with it, her fifth title of the year at this level.