World number one Roger Federer won his first title of the season at the Estoril Open on Sunday after Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko retired with a leg injury.
The Swiss top seed saved a set point before winning the opener 7-6 and was 2-1 down in the second when number two seed Davydenko announced his decision to retire.
“This is not the way you want to win a tournament but that's the way it goes sometimes,” said Federer who has a perfect 10-0 record against Davydenko.
In the women’s final, second-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko won her third career title, beating 2004 Estoril Open finalist Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-2 in a rain-interrupted match.
Elsewhere, James Blake cruised into the final of the US Clay Court Championship with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Spaniard Oscar Hernandez, reports Reuters from Houston. In the final, Blake will face another Spaniard in Marcel Granollers-Pujol, who came from a set down to beat American Wayne Odesnik 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 .
Serena advances
Fifth seed Serena Williams, seeking her third WTA title of the year, reached the Family Circle Cup final by beating French teenager Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday, adds Reuters from Charleston.
After recovering from a sluggish start, the powerful American broke 18-year-old Cornet in the eighth game of the second set before holding serve to wrap up victory. Williams faces Vera Zvonareva who beat Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.
Ferrer wins title
Spaniard David Ferrer pulled off a thrilling third-set fightback to beat defending champion and compatriot Nicolas Almagro 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 to win the Valencia Open, adds Reuters.
Almagro broke twice to open up a 5-2 lead in the third and was serving for the match when Ferrer started his comeback. The world number five won four games on the trot as errors crept into his opponent's game again, though Almagro held on to set up a tiebreak. Ferrer streaked away to go 6-2 up in the tiebreak, and Almagro hit long to gift Ferrer his first title this season.