Kuznetsova takes title after Szavay retires

Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova won the New Haven Open when Hungarian qualifier Agnes Szavay retired with a back injury in the final.

The 18-year-old Szavay won the first set 6-4 but, after going 3-0 down in the second, she burst into tears and was unable to continue.

It was the third successive match the Russian had won after her opponent retired.

"It's a bit strange but the only thing I can say is that in most of the matches I was winning," Kuznetsova told reporters after lifting her first title of the year and ninth of her career.

"Today was the closest I was to losing but I was getting my game back and then she retired. I cannot change it."

Italian Francesca Schiavone was injured during her quarter-final with Kuznetsova while fellow Russian Elena Dementieva withdrew in the third set of their semi-final due to nausea.

"When I saw she was calling for the trainer, I was like, no, please," Kuznetsova said.

U.S. OPEN 

"I felt really sorry for her. She was playing so well and the U.S. Open is coming, an important tournament. I hope she can recover."

Szavay had been hoping to become the first woman to come through qualifying to win a Tier II event.

She complained of a back problem after her semi-final with Greek Eleni Daniilidou but broke Kuznetsova to lead 3-2.

The Hungarian then held serve in a mammoth sixth game but at 5-4 she took a timeout to treat the injury.

Kuznetsova held a break point in the next game before Szavay rallied to clinch the set with a forehand winner down the line.

That, however, was the last point she won as Kuznetsova claimed 12 in a row.

"My back was very tight in the last few days, one nerve is probably going into the joints and it really hurts," Szavay said.

"I hope it's only because I played too much, (including) qualifying. But we will check with the doctor now. I hope it is

OK." 

Kuznetsova said she was looking forward to returning to the U.S. Open where she won her only grand slam title in 2004.

"I am not playing my best but I think it's OK because you don't have to play good tennis in the first matches," she said.