Berdych defeat Cilic to win China Open title

BEIJING: Czech Tomas Berdych came back from one set down to overhaul Croatia's Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the men's final of the ATP-WTA China Open on Sunday, winning his first title since spring 2009.

In the women's final, German ninth seed Andrea Petkovic was to play Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded 11, under smoggy conditions in the capital.

The victory lifts tenth-ranked Berdych past Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to number seven in the ATP world standings and gives the Czech valuable points towards the World Tour Finals.

It was the third-seeded Berdych's first final of the season after losing in six semi-finals, and his first ATP title since Munich in 2009.

The Czech said his goal in 2011 has been to find consistency, and hoped Beijing could set him in the right direction.

Unseeded Cilic had appeared to be in command in the first set, but was eventually beaten by Berdych's strong serve and consistent play in the second and third sets.

Cilic has been without a trophy since February 2010, at home in Zagreb. He has now lost four straight finals since then.

The Croatian sprinted away with the first set, claiming it with his fourth ace. But the setback seemed to inspire Berdych, who levelled at one set apiece despite losing an early second-set break that he got back in the final game.

In the third set, the Czech completed the victory as Cilic's attacking game was nowhere to be found. Berdych took the sixth ATP title of his career with 15 winners and 22 unforced errors.

Cilic had used his big serve with success all week in Beijing and fired down seven aces in the final, but Berdych matched him with the same number.

Cilic, once sanding inside the Top 10 but now 25th, has lost his last seven matches against Top 10 players and it is the second time he loses out in the Beijing final after Novak Djokovic beat him in 2009.