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Picture Myskina gets to grips with her trophy (Getty Images).

EASY FOR MYSKINA IN PARIS

By Andy Schooler

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Anastasia Myskina destroyed Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva 6-1 6-2 to win the French Open title at Roland Garros.

In what was always a one-sided affair, Dementieva simply made too many errors against an opponent whose game was rock solid.

Many experts thought Dementieva's serve would be key to the match, and they were right.

She struggled all day with it, serving 10 double faults in total, and Myskina made her pay.

With each player knowing the other's game inside out - the two Muscovites had grown up at the same tennis club together - a tight contest was expected.

However, after Dementieva broke in the opening game of the match, it was one-way traffic.

Dementieva failed to get her biggest weapon - her impressive forehand - working. That had played a big part in her beating both Amelie Mauresmo and Paola Suarez in the previous two rounds, but too many errors came from it to trouble her old friend.

In contrast, Myskina's double-fisted backhand was highly impressive, constantly pushing the ninth seed back.

Three double faults in Dementieva's first service game immediately surrendered her early advantage.

It was the first of eight consecutive games for Myskina, who had beaten both Venus Williams and former champion Jennifer Capriati en route to the final.

Her only problem in the first set came in game five when she survived a lengthy game of five deuces on her own serve.

Had Dementieva struck then, it could have been different, but instead Myskina took the opener 6-1 in just 27 minutes with a superb backhand winner down the line.

By the time Dementieva finally broke the streak of Myskina games, she was already a break down in the second set.

She had been unable to find a chink in the sixth seed's armour and when when her serve cracked again in game seven - four double faults meaning Myskina needn't have bothered playing a shot to win the game - the game looked up.

Myskina was left serving for the title and she grabbed her chance, clinching victory in just 59 minutes when her opponent sent a forehand long.

"I can't believe I won," Myskina said afterwards. "I am so happy, I can't express it.

"It's amazing because I had to control my emotions, it's Roland Garros, a Grand Slam and I was playing against a friend."

Dementieva was understandably extremely disappointed.

"I felt very tired and I was also extremely nervous today," she said. "This is a shame because that was a dream for me."

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