Poland's Radwanska lifts Dubai title

Agnieszka Radwanska broke into the world's top five for the first time after beating Germany's Julia Goerges 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the Dubai Championships on Saturday.

The 22-year-old Pole will move up to fifth in the world rankings when the new standings are released on Monday after claiming her eighth WTA singles title.

Trailing 5-4 in the first set, Radwanska won seven of the next eight games to go a set and 4-1 up in the second, ultimately sealing a comfortable win.

"In the important moments I think I was just more consistent," Radwanska told reporters.

"Her forehand it's a very big weapon. You never know what to expect - it's going so fast, and sometimes I couldn't even move to the right way and the ball was already behind me.

"I just stayed calm until the end."

Radwanska had won their only previous meeting, routing Goerges 6-1, 6-1 in the last 16 of this year's Australian Open and the big-hitting German seemed overawed at first, losing her serve in the opening game.

She broke back in the eighth game to make it 4-4 but serving at 5-5 her aggressive approach backfired.

She had four chances to serve out the game, but fluffed them all to give the dogged Radwanska a break point which the Pole converted when Goerges took on a volley mid-court and blasted it wide when she could have let it bounce first.

Radwanska served out to take the first set 7-5 and moved ahead in the second as her opponent's errors piled up.

Goerges provided some late resistance when she clawed back one break of serve and then had a point to make it 5-5 when Radwanska served for the match.

Unfortunately for her she just missed a forehand and Radwanska sealed victory on her second match point when her opponent shanked a backhand.

"She doesn't give you anything," Goerges told reporters afterwards. "When she does a few mistakes, it's at 15-all or 15-love, but not on the important moments."

"But I'm not disappointed because it was a big step in the right direction."