Tokyo, October 5:

Ninth seed Czech Tomas Berdych powered past Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro in straight sets on Sunday to win the Japan Open, his first title of the season.

On the women’s side, top seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark battled to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 win over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia to claim her third WTA title of the year.

Berdych — who shocked American Andy Roddick and Fernando Gonzalez of Chile on his way to the final — coasted to a surprisingly one-sided 6-1, 6-4 victory over the fifth-seeded Del Potro.

Wozniacki added to her 2008 success, after winning in Stockholm and New Haven in August. Kanepi, 23, struggled with her serve in the first, handing the set to the Dane. She levelled the contest in the second, but her serve again betrayed her in the third.

Porsche Grand Prix

STUTTGART: New World No 1 Jelena Jankovic won her second title in two weeks, defeating Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-4, 6-3 here on Sunday in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Serb also won the China Open last week and has three titles this year.

Jankovic was assured of taking over the top ranking on Monday from Serena Williams regardless of the outcome of the final. She already held the No 1 spot for one week in August.

Williams became the No 1 after defeating Jankovic at the US Open final, but the American will drop in the rankings after losing her opening match in Stuttgart.

Jankovic won her eighth career title after overcoming a brief lapse in the second set against the 18th-ranked Russian, who won the Stuttgart tournament in 2006.