Nuremberg Cup: Bertens cruises to second consecutive title

Title holder Kiki Bertens swept aside Czech qualifier Barbora Krejcikova 6-2, 6-1 on Saturday to win her second consecutive Nuremberg Cup in a successful dress rehearsal for the French Open starting on Sunday.

The Dutch world number 19, who won the title last year after battling through the qualifiers, has enjoyed a memorable clay court season so far, reaching the quarter-finals in Madrid and the last four in Rome last week.

"I did not expect to win but I am really happy," Bertens, a semi-finalist at Roland Garros last year, said in a courtside interview. "Tomorrow I will take a plane to Paris. I will try my best. It was important to get confidence for the French Open. It could not be better this week."

She faced only brief resistance early in the first set from the 21-year-old Krejcikova, ranked 254th in the world, before breaking twice to race through it in half an hour.

Bertens, 25, fired seven aces, including one on her first match point, and constantly pinned her opponent to the baseline as she earned her first title of the year.