WTA: Dementieva claims Istanbul crown

Istanbul, Turkey (Sports Network) - Elena Dementieva of Russia captured the Istanbul Cup tennis title Saturday after France's Aravane Rezai was forced to retire in the second set because of a left knee injury.
The second-seeded Dementieva was ahead 7-6 (7-5), 3-0 when Rezai had to call it quits.
Rezai, who beat fourth-seeded American Venus Williams in the second round and top-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, is bothered by tendinitis in her left knee.
Dementieva notched her first title of 2007 and the seventh of her WTA career. She won twice last year, but her best finish this year before this event was a semifinal loss to Martina Hingis in Tokyo after the Australian Open.
Seeded 13th for the upcoming French Open, Dementieva -- a 2004 finalist at Roland Garros -- will open her stay in Paris against Germany's Angelique Kerber.
Rezai, who was appearing in her first-ever WTA Tour final, will meet fellow Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in the first round of the French Open next week.