PARIS: Russian Nadia Petrova ended Lucie Safarova's brilliant run at the Paris Open when she outfoxed the Czech 4-6 6-1 6-4 in Sunday's final.   

The world number seven fought back from one set down to claim her seventh WTA title in one hour and 48 minutes.   

"She made it really tough for me, especially on the match points," Petrova said.

"She played unbelievable tennis and I was struggling a bit on my second serve. It is amazing to win here in Paris because I love the surface and the crowd so much."   

Safarova, who beat compatriot Nicole Vaidisova, third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and former world number one Justine Henin en route to the final, fell short of experience after a flying start.   

Unseeded Safarova broke into the limelight at last month's Australian Open by knocking out then champion Amelie Mauresmo in the fourth round before falling to Vaidisova in the quarter-finals.   

The 20-year-old Czech tormented the world number seven with booming returns, stunning backhands and unpredictable forehands to snatch the first set in just 30 minutes.          

She gallantly took her chance in the first game of the second set, stealing Petrova's serve when the Russian sent a forehand wide. Petrova, however, hit back, taking advantage of Safarova's string of unforced errors to win six games in succession to claim the second set in 32 minutes.   

The Russian, who eliminated holder Mauresmo of France in Saturday''s semi-final, broke again in the decider's third and fifth games.   

The Czech saved a match point on her serve with a powerful backhand that wrongfooted her opponent. She saved a second in the next game with another stunning backhand.   

Safarova cut the deficit to 3-5 when she benefited from two Petrova double faults to break and then come back to 4-5. She saved a third match point and had two more break points before bowing out on a Petrova service winner.