Tennis round-up: Kvitova, Anderson get in form before US Open with title wins

Defending champion Petra Kvitova used a dominant serve to beat Lucie Safarova 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-2 in their all-Czech final at the Connecticut Open on Saturday.

Kvitova faced only one break point and was never broken as she remained unbeaten in seven career matches against her compatriot.

The second seed collected her 17th WTA title and her third in New Haven after victories in 2012 and 2014.

After a disappointing middle of the season during which she was slowed by a bout of mononucleosis, Kvitova will head to next week's U.S. Open with renewed confidence, though she will need some rest before her first round match on Tuesday.

"I feel terrible, but doesn't matter," Kvitova said.

"I will have a day off. It was very tiring."

Kvitova and fourth seed Safarova, left-handers born less than 150 km apart, wore identical outfits -- red skirt, white top and red headband. They even had matching wristbands.

There was also little to separate them in the first set as both held serve easily before Safarova prevailed in the tiebreak.

However, Safarova, who did not face a break point in the first set, could not maintain her hot start and it was all Kvitova from then on as the world number five triumphed in a match that lasted two hours 18 minutes.

"She's a big hitter," Safarova said of Kvitova.

"She's putting a lot of pressure on you, serving really big. She was just going for it today, striking it well."

Kvitova, the fifth seed at the US Open, faces German Laura Siegemundin the first round in New York, a city she readily acknowledges she does not really like.

Sixth seed and losing French Open finalist Safarova will be up against Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko in a rematch of their New Haven semi-final.

Anderson beats Herbert to win third ATP title

Second seed Kevin Anderson used his powerful serve to end the unlikely run of qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert with a 6-4, 7-5 victory in the final of the Winston-Salem Open in North Carolina on Saturday.

One break in each set was enough for Anderson to clinch the third ATP title of his career and end a streak of losing seven straight finals.

The tall South African was broken only once in the entire tournament at Wake Forest University in a promising warm-up for the US Open that starts on Monday.

Anderson, 29, has a mediocre record at Flushing Meadows where he has never made it to the round of 16.

He faces Russian teenager Andrey Rublev in the first round next week.

"I’ve been in a few finals and come up short which is always tough," a relieved Anderson said.

"Each final is a different situation and for some reason it just hadn’t happened for me. Maybe it’s a bit of an added pressure to be the favourite coming into the final."

Anderson was in danger of dropping his serve against Herbert only once, in the fourth game of the second set, and saved four break points.

Herbert, ranked 140th in the world, was outclassed in the first set but played much better in the second before his serve was broken at 5-5.

That was the opening world number 15 Anderson needed to close out the Frenchman.

Had Herbert won he would have been the first player since 1996 to win an ATP event after playing nine matches.

The 24-year-old survived three rounds of qualifying just to make the main draw.

"I had an incredible week," said Herbert who will meet 23rd seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in the first round at the US Open.

"I came here to play some matches but I didn’t expect to play that much. (Anderson) was better and more experienced today."