Finn claims title in ICTSI-ITF tiff

MANILA, Philippines - Finland’s Piia Suomalainen overpowered Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum to fashion out a 6-3, 6-3 victory and claim the crown in Week One the ICTSI-ITF Women’s Circuit at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

The third-seeded Suomalainen pocketed the top purse of $10,000 while avenging her loss to the unseeded Kumkhum in Thailand last month.

“I made few mistakes and played great all game while she got unfortunate and committed a lot of errors,” said the 26-year-old Helsinki native.

Suomalainen dominated Kumkhum majority of the game and needed just a little less than an hour and a half to dispose of her Thai rival.

The 16-year-old Kumkhum, who eliminated Fil-German Katharina Lehnert, 6-4, 6-2, in Saturday’s semifinals, failed to flash the same form that catapulted her to the finals and fell to the crisp-hitting Fin.

Suomalainen advanced to the finals with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over second pick Gally de Wael of Belgium.