Belgian Kim Clijsters [Images] claimed her first title of the season when she defeated Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the Warsaw Cup on Sunday.

Her 7-5, 6-2 victory not only denied Kuznetsova, playing the 300th match of her career, a second title of the year after she had won in Miami [Images], but meant she has now lost three consecutive Warsaw finals.

She was beaten by Venus Williams [Images] in 2004 and Justine Henin-Hardenne in 2005, and has not won a title on her favoured clay surface since she won in Helsinki as a qualifier in 2002.

Top seed Clijsters, who conceded the number one ranking to Amelie Mauresmo in March, was playing only her fifth tournament of the year after suffering ankle and hip injuries.

The title is her first since she won on home soil in Belgium last October.

Both players struggled to produce their best tennis and Kuznetsova in particular made far too many errors.

The Belgian, who won the title without the loss of a set all week, always held the edge and her forehand caused Kuznetsova most problems.

"I'm happy that I won, but I'm more happy with the way that I played all week," said Clijsters, who will miss the Berlin tournament next week and then play in Rome.

"That's a lot more satisfying to me than winning, but if you can do both that's even better."

She added: "I built up my points really well and was patient until I felt like I could go for a winner.

"I was very consistent throughout the whole match and we had some really good rallies. I was really enjoying myself out there and that's important to feel too."

Kuznetsova said: "I guess (I had) to come in a little bit more, to get into the court and to dictate a little bit of the game.

"I was defending and after a good shot I was not coming in. I was giving her too much space to hit her winners. They were pretty close games, but I guess it was me not attacking more."

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