Kvitova beats Rybarikova in straight sets to claim second New Haven title

Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets on Saturday to claim her second WTA Connecticut Open title in three years.

Kvitova defeated Rybarikova 6-4, 6-2 in the US Open warm-up event.

Fourth-ranked Kvitova, the 2012 New Haven winner who lost to Simona Halep in last year's final, will be the women's third seed when the year's last Grand Slam tournament begins Monday in New York.

Kvitova said that it was great to win the title, adding that she is very happy to play the final like that and is hopeful of displaying that at the US Open, Sport24 reported.

Rybarikova, ranked 68th, ousted top-seeded Halep on Tuesday but could not claim her fifth WTA title and the first since 2013 in Washington.

Kvitova claimed her 13th career WTA crown and second of the year after her dramatic Wimbledon victory, adding momentum to her bid for another Grand Slam title in the Flushing Meadows fortnight.

Never dropping a set, Kvitova lost only 18 games at New Haven and fired 31 winners to only six for Rybarikova. The Czech said that she needed some matches before the US Open so she is very proud of getting through like that.