WASHINGTON, July 21: World number two Michael Chang won his second consecutive ATP Washington Classic here yesterday when he came back to defeat second-seeded Czech Petr Korda 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.The win also meant that Chang was able to claim a career-best fifth title in a single season. So far this year, he has won at Memphis in February, Indian Wells in March and Orlando &Hong Kong in April.It was Chang's sixth win over Korda in eight matches and he pocketed a cool $90,000.Chang, the first back-to-back champion here since Andre Agassi in 1991, hopes his winning here is not over. He wants to play alongside Pete Sampras in September in a US Davis Cup semi-final tie against Australia. Rubin fends off KournikovaMAHWAH: Anna Kournikova, the talented 16-year-old Russian appeared in control of her finals match against Chanda Rubin, but careless play near the end cost the teenage the title at the $125,000 A&P Women's Classic yesterday.The American pulled out the decisive third-set tiebreaker with a double fault, winding up with a 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) victory.``It was good to still be in the match after bowing down in every set,'' said the 29th ranked Rubin, who won $20,000.Kournikova, who blew a 4-2 lead in the second set and a 3-0 margin in the third, fell behind for good in the final tie-breaker when she committed her eighth double fault to provide the 21-year-old American from Louisiana with a 5-3 lead.Kournikova won the next point with a cross-court winner, but failed to return two serves to give Rubin the title.``I didn't feel any pressure as the favourite,'' said Kournikova, who had been the only player in the tournament not to lose a set. Joanette Kruger wins Czech OpenPRAGUE: South Africa's Joanette Kruger won a rain-delayed Czech Women's Open tennis tournament yesterday, beating Marion Maruska of Austria in straight sets in less than an hour.Kruger's 6-1, 6-1 victory came at the end of a long day. Heavy rains on Saturday, forced the organisers to schedule the semi-finals for the next morningIn those semis, Kruger overcame some stubborn resistance from German Veronika Martinek to eventually win 7-5, 6-1.Maruska reached the final after a 6-2, 6-1 win over Catalina Cristea of Romania.But despite being in the final, the two had to wait to play it as the rains came again. They had just warmed up when rain began to fall again, driving them back to the dressing room. Cash beats Noah in senior's eventPOERTSCHACH: Pat Cash of Australia defeated France's Yannick Noah in three sets today to win an ATP seniors tour event.Cash took the first set 6-3, but Noah rebounded to dominate the second set 6-1 before Cash clinched the victory with a 10-7 win.The matches are played with the bst of three format.Only Grand Slam or Davis Cup winners over 35 years old may compete on the seniors tour.
