SHANGHAI, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Top seed Anna Smashnova ended Anna Kournikova's latest quest for her elusive first WTA Tour singles title Sunday as she posted a 6-3, 6-2 triumph in the final of the SVW Polo Open.
Kournikova, the fourth seed, reached the final for the fourth time in 117 WTA Tour events but again failed in a bid for a tournament win.
One of the world's most popular female athletes, the 21-year-old Russian showed promise when she turned professional in 1995. But although she owns 15 career doubles titles, including the Australian Open with Martina Hingis last January, Kournikova has yet to win a singles crown.
Kournikova also reached the final at Hilton Head in 1999 and Miami the previous year. She had won the previous two meetings with Smashnova, who captured her third title of the year and 95 points in the WTA standings.
Smashnova also defeated Kournikova in the semifinals of the season-opening event at Auckland. Kournikova avenged that defeat in the first round at Stanford in July and also recorded a three-set over the Israeli the following week in the quarterfinals at San Diego.
