CNN.com - Sharapova shocked in Miami final

Kuznetsova returns to the top ten with victory in the prestigious event.

MIAMI, Florida -- Svetlana Kuznetsova returned to the form that had won her the 2004 U.S. Open title with a straight sets win over Russian compatriot Maria Sharapova in the final of the WTA event in Miami.

Kuznetsova, who will return to the world top ten, won 6-4 6-3 in 90 minutes, sealing victory with her fourth ace.

"I have been working so hard and I deserve to be here," said Kuznetsova who had beaten world number one Amelie Mauresmo in the semifinals.

It marked the sixth career singles title for the 12th seeded Kuznetsova

She said her game plan against Sharapova was to play aggressively and control the pace.

"I had to get inside the court more. I was a bit defensive at times so I just tried to play my game," Kuznetsova said.

Sharapova reached the final after Tatiana Golovin retired in the third set with a left ankle injury.

"It was tough," Sharapova said of the final. "I couldn't put two points together. I was tired from my previous match and now I need some time off."

The fourth seed was a bundle of nerves and seemed distracted by a noisy small plane dragging an advertising banner which droned throughout the opening set until chased off by a police helicopter.

Sharapova made 16 forehand errors in the 49-minute first set while Kuznetsova, given a pain-killer for a headache early in the second set, kept her concentration much better.

The 12th seed improved her record against Sharapova to 3-2 as she ran away with the second set against her error-prone compatriot.

Sharapova had been bidding to become only the third woman after Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters to win the back-to-back American events at Indian Wells and Miami in the same year.

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