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Petrova wins the Open Gaz de France title

PARIS, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Russian Nadia Petrova rallied Sunday to beat Czech Lucie Safarova, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, and win the Open Gaz de France Tennis Tournament in Paris.

The unseeded Safarova went ahead of the fourth-seeded Petrova on an early break in the second set, but then Petrova broke three straight serves to win the set, and opened a 5-1 cushion in the third on the way to her seventh career title.

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Petrova won five times in 2006, but retired in her second match at Sydney because of an abdominal strain. She was off to a slow start this year and was beaten by eventual champion Serena Williams in the third round of the Australian Open, despite leading, 6-1, 5-3.

"It is amazing to win here in Paris because I love the surface and the crowd so much," Petrova said.

Safarova had beaten Nicole Vaidisova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Justine Henin in succession to reach the final.

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