Ferrer wins Rio ATP title

David Ferrer has won the 23rd ATP singles title of his career with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Fabio Fognini in the final of the Rio Open.

David Ferrer celebrates winning the Rio Open

Spain's David Ferrer (pic) has beaten Fabio Fognini in the final of the Rio Open. (AAP)

David Ferrer won his second tournament of the season and the 23rd ATP singles title of his career with a 6-2 6-3 victory over Fabio Fognini in the final of the Rio Open on Sunday.

Ferrer has won all eight matches he has played against Fognini, including the previous one - the final on clay last year in Buenos Aires.

Ferrer of Spain was seeded No.2 in the clay-court tournament behind countryman Rafael Nadal.

"It was my best match of the tournament and I'm very happy having won two tournaments this season," said the 32-year-old Ferrer, who is off to the best start of his career.

Ferrer also won the Qatar Open in Doha.

Nadal lost to No.6 Fognini in Saturday's semifinal 1-6 6-2 7-5.

The loss ended Nadal's 52-match winning string in semi-finals on clay. Nadal, the winner of 14 grand slams, has yet to reach the final in three tournaments this season.

Fognini was looking for his fourth ATP singles title.

In the women's final, top-seeded Sara Errani of Italy defeated Anna Schmiedlova of Slovakia 7-6 (7-2) 6-1. It was Errani's eighth WTA singles title and her first since winning two years ago in Acapulco, Mexico.

The victory also moves Errani up to No. 12 in the WTA ranking, ever closer to returning to the top 10.

"I'm close, but that's not my objective," she said. "The most important thing for me is to practice well, do things right and improve. And I think when you do things the right way, other things follow."

Errani could be back in Rio twice next year - for this tournament and the Olympics. She and partner Roberta Vinci lost to the Williams sisters in the quarterfinals of the London Olympics.

One drawback for Errani: Rio's Olympic tennis will be on hardcourts, not clay.

"It's a shame they won't be on clay," she said. "I was hoping they would be."

Schmiedlova was playing in her first final.


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