Caroline Wozniacki ends title drought

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark celebrates after winning over Naomi Osaka of Japan during their final match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo. (Photo: AP)

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki overpowered Japan’s Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-3 to capture the Pan Pacific Open on Sunday, her first tournament victory since February 2015.

The Dane, who has battled back from a wretched run of injuries this year, weathered an early storm from her teenage opponent before running out a comfortable winner, claiming a second Tokyo title and the 24th of her career.

“I’m very proud to win the tournament,” Wozniacki told reporters.

“Somebody just told me I’ve won a tournament every year since 2008. That’s a nice little streak and hopefully I can keep it going and keep moving forward.”

Wozniacki survived a health scare after dropping serve to go down 4-3 in the first set.

After feeling a twinge in her left thigh, she left the court for treatment and returned with her leg heavily bandaged.

But it appeared to have little adverse effect as Wozniacki took complete control, ripping a fierce backhand down the line to take the set.

Wozniacki roared into a 5-0 lead in the second set as Osaka’s game unravelled in the Tokyo sunshine.

The 18-year-old, who called a medical timeout of her own for a sore right shoulder after losing the first set, produced some spirited resistance to avoid the dreaded ‘bagel’, but it was too little too late. Wozniacki completed victory with a crisp backhand which forced Osaka into yet another wild shot, giving the 26-year-old her first title since Kuala Lumpur last year.

Vinci ousts gold Puig Wuhan: Roberta Vinci downed Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig in the first round of the Wuhan Open on Sunday.

Italy’s Vinci took just one hour and 20 minutes to defeat the Puerto Rican in two sets, 6-3, 6-3.

Last year’s US Open finalist Vinci served eight aces en route to the second round of the $2.6 million hard court event.

American qualifier Louisa Chirico was handed a pass to the second round after US Open quarter-finalist Timea Bacsinszky retired in the second set.

Teenager Belinda Bencic also pulled out in the second set with a lower back problem, allowing world number 10 Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia through.

Paes-Begemann lose in final St Petersburg: India’s Leander Paes and his German partner Andre Begemann conceded a one-set advantage to go down to Dominic Inglot and Henri Kontinen in the men’s doubles final of the St Petersburg Open here on Sunday. The Indo-German duo lost 6-4, 3-6, 10-12 to the British-Finnish combination in a match that lasted an hour and 19 minutes.