Serb Ana Ivanovic came into the 2008 Pacific Life Open with the added pressure as the No. 1 seed and, at the end of the fortnight, rightfully finished as the last woman standing. She claimed her first trophy in Indian Wells with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 2 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in Sunday’s final, relegating the Russian to runner-up status for the second straight year.

The 20-year-old Ivanovic had been extended to three sets in her previous four wins against Kuznetsova, including a decisive tie-break last year in the Berlin final, but she made quick of her opponent this time around.

She took the lead as she broke at 4-all in the first set, and closed the title match with a flourish, winning the final three games. She earned triple match point and put it away on her second opportunity with a winning return off of the Russian serve.

“It's a great victory for me,” said Ivanovic, the first woman to win the Indian Wells title under a Serbian flag. “When I managed to break her on 4-all it gave me confidence, and went strong from that point on. That game I stepped up a little bit more, and I realized that's what I got to do.”

Kuznetsova said: “She wasn't giving me any free points and she was attacking. You feel like it's her day, like everything goes her way... I was trying to be there and play every point, and she just played better today.”

It is Ivanovic’s sixth career Tour title, and her third at the Tier I level, adding to her triumphs in 2006 at Montreal and last year in Berlin.

She narrowly averted a fourth round exit on Tuesday against 13th-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone before confidently making her way into the Indian Wells final with straight sets wins over Russian No. 12 seed Vera Zvonareva and third seeded countrywoman Jelena Jankovic.

“It's such a strong field and still I'm No. 1 seeded; obviously more pressure comes into the play,” said Ivanovic. “The first few matches I was more nervous, but then I just started to focus on each match and not even think about who I play against... So thinking technically what I have to do and as the tournament was going on and on, I played better.”

Kuznetsova had earned her place in the title match by avenging her Australian Open loss to Poland’s Agniezska Radwanska in the quarterfinals and putting an end to compatriot Maria Sharapova’s perfect season in the semifinals.

She has now lost eight of her nine last finals, including last year’s straight set loss to Slovak Daniela Hantuchova in Indian Wells.

“It's always painful to lose, but I prefer to get to the final losing than to lose in second round,” said the 22-year-old. “I still played a pretty good tournament.”