By ,
Published February 05, 2015
Istanbul, Turkey (SportsNetwork.com) - Caroline Wozniacki won a title for the seventh consecutive year with a straight-set rout of Roberta Vinci in Sunday's final at the Istanbul Cup.
The top-seeded Wozniacki needed just 67 minutes in a 6-1, 6-1 victory to claim her 22nd career title and first of 2014. She has won at least one tournament every year since 2008, but Sunday's triumph was just her second in the past two years.
Wozniacki ascended to the No. 1 spot in the world during a brilliant run from 2010 through 2011 when she won six titles each year. However, she still has never won a Grand Slam event and followed up a 2012 season that featured only two titles with a 2013 campaign in which she won only once.
The 2014 season was shaping up similarly. Prior to this week, the Dane had only a trio of semifinal appearances and exited before the quarterfinals in each of the first three Grand Slam events.
"I'm happy to have won my 22nd WTA title. it's a great feeling," said Wozniacki. who was looking ahead to the hardcourt season in anticipation of the U.S. Open. "I've had a good week and am feeling good on hardcourts, which is great moving forward."
Wozniacki was unstoppable on Sunday. She saved all six break points she faced with five breaks of Vinci's serve.
"I'm happy how the final went today," added Wozniacki. "I served well and pushed her around the court, and I really dictated the match."
Vinci suffered her second straight loss in a final after a difficult start to 2014. She had six consecutive first-round exits to open the season, as well as another run of four straight opening-round losses before last week's runner-up finish in Bucharest.
The second-seeded Italian had won each of her matches this week in straight sets before running into Wozniacki's buzz-saw, and fell to 9-3 lifetime in WTA finals. She hasn't won a tournament since capturing two during the 2013 season.
"I tried to play aggressively like always, but made a lot of mistakes," Vinci said about Sunday's match. "It's tough to play like that against Caroline because she puts everything back in the court, and it was tough for me to stay in the rallies today. But I'm happy with my week and Caroline just played much better than me."
Wozniacki improved to 2-2 lifetime against Vinci and avenged a second-round loss to the Italian in Madrid back in May.
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/wozniacki-thumps-vinci-in-istanbul-for-first-title-of-2014