New Haven:
Caroline Wozniacki will take the top seed and the confidence of a third straight WTA New Haven title into the US Open next week.
The Dane defeated Russian eighth seed Nadia Petrova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 Saturday to claim a third consecutive crown in the Pilot Pen hard court tournament, the last event before the start of the US Open on Monday.
It was the second title of the week for 20-year-old Wozniacki, who earned a title in the rain-disrupted event in Montreal on Monday. The world number two collected 98,500 dollars for the New Haven victory.
"I feel great," said Wozniacki, whose four victories this season are the most of any woman on tour. "I have a Tuesday start. So, you know, I'm on a roll."
In Saturday night's men's final, Ukrainian Sergiy Stakhovsky won his second tournament of the season, defeating Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Petrova, who received a wild-card into the New Haven draw, battled from behind throughout.
After knotting the match at one set each she dropped her first service game in the third set.
After Wozniacki took a 2-0 lead in the third, Petrova sought treatment for an apparent back problem.
She double faulted to go down 3-1, but fought back to 4-3. Wozniacki broke her again and served out the match.
"I was thinking, 'OK, I have a great serve, I'm standing on the right side, I almost have new balls. So this one should be mine now,'" Wozniacki said.
Petrova, who was playing in her first final since 2008, said she was satisfied with her game going into Flushing Meadows.
"If my back would have been OK in the beginning of the third set, maybe the set would have been closer and I'd have maybe a chance to really challenge her, maybe win the title," Petrova said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen."
Stakhovsky raised his record in ATP finals to four-straight wins.
Stakovsky broke the hard-serving Istomin twice, including in the fifth game of the third set.