Sharapova beats Ivanovic to win third Stuttgart title

Sixth seed Maria Sharapova beat Ana Ivanovic in three sets to win her third consecutive Porsche Tennis Grand Prix title in Stuttgart, Germany on Sunday.

The Russian-born tennis star won 3-6 6-4 6-1 to claim her 30th career title and improve her record in Stuttgart to 13-0.

Ninth seed Ivanovic initially powered her way to a five nil lead in the first set and achieved a break, before Sharapova struck back by winning 11 of the last 13 games, reports the BBC.

Sharapova described her win over Ivanovic as a "tough bit of work."

Ivanovic has lost seven of her previous nine matches against Sharapova, including the last six in a row.