Kanepi wins Brisbane, Murray advances to final

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Kanepi wins Brisbane, Murray advances to final

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Kaia Kanepi beat Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-1 in the women's final at the Brisbane International.

08 January,2012 02:24 am

Kaia Kanepi won her second WTA title with a dominating performance over Daniela Hantuchova on Saturday at the Brisbane International, where Andy Murray was one match from his 22nd career singles title with new coach Ivan Lendl in his corner.Kanepi won all but one point in the first four games of the second set and went on to beat Hantuchova 6-2, 6-1 in the womens final to add to her 2010 tournament title at Palermo.Murray beat Australian teenager Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-2 in the mens semis and will play Sundays final against third-seeded Alexandr Dolgopolov, who swept aside second-seeded Gilles Simon of France 6-3, 6-4 earlier Saturday.Murray, aiming to break a Grand Slam singles drought for British men that extends back to 1936, hired eight-time Grand Slam winner Lendl as coach earlier this month and the pair met up on Saturday.The 24-year-old Murray has lost the last two Australian Open finals and is 0-3 in major finals, something hes desperate to address at Melbourne Park starting Jan. 16.Murray started the week slowly, dropping the opening sets of his first two matches and complaining of aches and pains, but improved to beat 2006 Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis in straights sets in the quarterfinal and outclassed Tomic in the semis.That was good. Served very well today, which is important against Bernard, said Murray, who fired 13 aces and didnt give Tomic any breakpoint chances in the 70-minute match. Just moving so much better. Its a huge part of my game. When I move well, the rest of my game goes well.My movement at the start of the week for me it felt like a one out of 10. Now I feel like Im moving about an eight or a nine out of 10. Can still get better, but Im playing well.