Distraught Kournikova Downed in Final of Shanghai Open Tennis

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, September 16, 2002

Distraught Kournikova Downed in Final of Shanghai Open Tennis

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Shruging, sighing, and yelling, Russian tennis beauty Anna Kournikova was driven almost distraught when she lost 6-2, 6-3 to top seed Anna Smashnova of Israel in the Shanghai Open final here on Sunday.

The fourth seeded Russian pretty girl never found her touch in the match as she was broken seven times in all her nine serve games.

The gritty Smashnova attacked Kournikova with heavy topspin ground strokes from the baseline, always leaving the 21-year-old Russian hapless and helpless.

In Kournikova's eyes, inspired Smashnova was insurmountable in the match. "She played like a wall and got every ball back," Kournikova said in disappointment.

"I am quite and quite disappointed," she said. "She played her game, and I didn't play the right way. I should have been more aggressive."

Nearly all spectators wished Kournikova could win her first-ever singles title here and they cheered her throughout the match.

"Not only the fans here wished me to win, but also the fans allover world," Kournikova said.

But she just couldn't. In her seven-year career, the Russian girl made four singles finals, and she lost them all.

As Kournikova is still scrambling to win her first singles title, 26-year-old Smashnova garnered her fourth title this season with the win.

"Every final is difficult, because both players want to win," she said. "In the match I tried to play my game. I tried to stick to my game. In fact I played better than Kournikova, so I won."

Actually Smashnova was the better side when she pushed Kournikova to the limit by breaking all her five service games in the second.

Kournikova somewhat self-destructed and committed four double faults in the second set.

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