Svetlana Kuznetsova ended Justine Henin's winning streak but then tasted defeat herself as Ana Ivanovic ended the Russian's hopes of a title at the German Open.

A rested Ivanovic outlasted a spent Kuznetsova in a third-set tiebreaker Sunday to win the final of the rainy claycourt event and claim her third career title.

The 12th-seeded Ivanovic did not have her schedule upset by the rain that fell all week, forcing the suspension and postponement of a handful of matches.

In fact, the Serbian had a short day Saturday, needing 27 minutes to move past Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine, who retired with a hand injury.

Playing in her fourth career final, Ivanovic had to wait for Kuznetsova and Henin to complete their semi-final from Saturday, when rain postponed play.

In a suspended match for the second straight day, the top-seeded Henin began Sunday trailing, 3-2, in the third set but secure in the knowledge that she had won her last 10 matches against the third-seeded Kuznetsova.

However, Belgian Henin was unable to overcome Kuznetsova and absorbed a 6-4 5-7 6-4 loss.

It was just her second setback in 23 matches since February and second in 16 all-time meetings with the Russian.

Kuznetsova carried the momentum into the final and took the first set from Ivanovic, who regrouped for a 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) victory and her first title since Montreal in 2006.

Kuznetsova had not beaten Henin since 2004 at Doha, winning just three sets during the drought.

On Saturday, Henin won the last six games in a three-set quarter-final victory over fifth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, whom she also victimised with a comeback at in the US Open semi-finals last year.